City Will Penalize Smoke Belchers
In the news is good news. The city has enacted a law that will impose fines on smoke belchers, according to this news report:
“Once approved, all vehicles, whether public, private, found violating the emission standards set forth in this ordinance, shall be prohibited from plying within the territorial jurisdiction of the city of Baguio at all times,” (City Councilor Erdolfo) Balajadia said.
Finally reacting to the alarming pollution levels in Baguio, the city council will be imposing the following penalties for violators: 1. Fines (Php1,000-3,000) 2. Compulsory attendance in seminars on pollution 3. Suspension of the motor vehicle registration and driver’s license Of course with this law they are creating additional jobs that the citizens will be paying for with taxes: the Clean Air Monitoring Unit, which will also conduct the roadside tests and consequent seminars.
“And in case the third offense was committed within a year from the commission of the first offense, an additional penalty of suspension of the motor vehicle’s registration and driver’s license, and franchise for public utility vehicles (PUVs), for a period of one year shall be recommended to the Land Transportation Office (LTO).”
Isn’t it funny how in the Philippines, especially in Baguio, there are simply so many vehicles that have “passed” smoke emission tests and have been allowed to be registered by the Land Transportation Office, the Philippine government agency tasked with the issuance of car permits? And how funny it is, that even during the off season for tourists, the pollution levels remain high? Could these be caused mainly by 8,500 jeepneys, MORE THAN HALF of which are ‘colorum’ (without franchises)?
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TWO-STROKE ENGINES
I received an email from a reader who now lives abroad and was complaining that when his group, representative of 2-stroke engine scooter owners in Baguio, attended a public hearing where the discussion was on whether those vehicles should be allowed to ply Baguio roads, they were blamed as the primary causes of air pollution in Baguio.
Apparently 2-stroke gasoline engines, which take in fuel and emit exhaust in the same stroke, still dump from 25-30% of their fuel unburned directly into our environment. Thus the intended ban.
What the reader, let’s call him Mark, was upset about was that although they went to the hearing in good faith, hoping to show facts and figures regarding their vehicles, they were treated very arrogantly by those conducting the hearing, refusing to even consider the points they were raising.
Now don’t get me wrong. I AM NOT AN ADVOCATE FOR 2-STROKE ENGINES. In fact:
1. I detest all the noise motorbikes make, especially that uber-loud green one that speeds up C.M. Recto Road at all times of the day and night because “he can.”
2. It bothers me that while we regular car drivers must allot them the same space as a regular vehicle they do not behave as if they are as long and wide as cars when it suits them when they weave in and out of lanes and sometimes run on sidewalks
3. I worry for the safety of the driver and passenger as they are so unprotected, even with helmets on.
But during that hearing, these bikes were being blamed for the pollution in Baguio, Mark alleged. When they pointed out that there were only about 30-40 of them at that time while there were thousands of jeepneys running on diesel and emitting toxic fumes, the councilors raised their voices at them and effectively told them to shut up, and refused to listen to what they had to say.
One of the government officials was a lawyer for the jeepney operators, which the other one was a lawyer for the taxis. In that hearing Mark said that they could not say anything in connection with taxis, jeepneys and pollution, as if only the 30-40 2-stoke scooters were solely responsible for the pollution in Baguio.
Read the figures below to see why these men are so gaga on the jeepneys and taxis, legal operators or otherwise — imagine am 8,000 strong voter’s base — each? In fact, when I was interviewing a taxi driver as to whom he was voting for in the previous election, he said D____ _a____. When I asked him why so (innocently — I didn’t know or care about the candidate). Taxi driver replied, “Basta!”
(Is that what happens during public hearings? We have to hear only THEM? They will not listen to US?).
TOO MANY JEEPNEYS & TAXIS; HALF ARE ILLEGAL OPERATORS
I raise this issue now because the city has turned a blind eye to the surplus of jeepneys and taxis plying Baguio roads, and the ill effects they have on the environment I was informed by a member of a Land Transportation monitoring unit connected with the office of the President, let’s call him Lester, that there are about 8,600 jeepneys in Baguio and only about 4,000 have franchises; that there are Trancoville alone accounts for 1,000 jeepneys!
Oh, that number bothered me greatly and I wondered why Trancoville was suddenly the ‘most populated residential area in Baguio,’ until I realized that Trancoville jeepneys, which should be plying a northern route actually ‘own’ that highly lucrative Harrison Road-SM-Leonard Wood-passing through Session Road-Bonifacio Road route.
Why that route when they should be picking up closer to General Luna and just heading in a norther direction instead of picking up passengers near the market and going around the Central Business District?
Lester informed me that there are about 8,000 taxis and half of those (about 4,000) are illegal operators also.
He also said that his office had a copy of a Department of Environment and Natural Resources study that there were 40,000 (yup, you read it right — 40,000) vehicles pass the intersection of Harrison-Abanao and Magsaysay (between Hotel Veniz and Maharlika) between 8:00am-5:00pm on a regular office/school day!
Now, observe that intersection (if your lungs, eyes and ears can handle it) and tell me the ratio between jeepneys and all other vehicle types. Tell me also if the jeepneys for most of the day are filled with passengers or if they are empty.
I am happy that smoke belchers in Baguio will be dealt with finally. Let’s hope they city government is decisive and fair.
There is however another, more effective way to curb air pollution in Baguio, gentlemen –
1. Rationalize jeepney routes, make those going the same direction one route only (e.g. combine Maria Basa, Navy Road, Pacdal, Gibraltar, Mines View; combine Militaty Cut-off, PNR, Greenwater, Hillside). I am open for an invite to join any group that will work on this. (Been a commuter since I was 16, you know).
2. Remove illegal public utility vehicle operators. By doing this alone we remove 8,000 vehicles from the center of town!
3. Zone industrial areas for Baguio and do not allow large trucks to enter the center of the city. There are so many large trucks climbing and descending Bokawkan, for example and one of them even ran over two little kids on the sidewalk because the driver “couldn’t see them.”
4. Implement my suggestion for No Overnight Parking in Baguio — enforce the “no garage, no car” locally. This will serve to decrease the number of private vehicles in Baguio because it is easier to sell your car than find space for a garage after you have turned it into your living room extension, or a sari-sari store rental area.
Less Cars, Less Air Pollution, Less Accidents, Less Taxes on Fuel for GMA, Less Noise, Less Car Wash on the Roads and SIdewalks, and many more “Less”es!
And we can all finally walk in peace and clean air.
And the trees in Baguio will be bright green again, and Baguio will be beautiful again.
Remains to be seen Lisa. But the city has to show that it is really serious about the matter and not just posturing about it. Hope that a year from now, when I’m walking up New Lucban or Gen Luna, there will really be no smoke belchers anymore.
They should also penalize motorcycles and scooters whose original muffler systems have been replaced with noisy exhausts pipes.
I agree Resty,
While they’re at it, the city fathers might as well try to eradicate noise and visual pollution. Let’s hope they’re not posturing as usual. For these people pay lip service to everything, including Burnham Park as a green park when all their plans are to turn it more into an amusement park for the students.
Oo nga. I agree with Resty. Sana its not just a law that is good but is not implemented. I hope it doesn’t go the way of the QC “no smoking in jeepneys” ordinance back in the 1990s which was much talked about back when it was passed but no one cares about it now.
finally, someone with a sense for love of Baguio has come out.Congrats to Councilor Balajadia for taking the cudgels (finally) I believe this is the first thing to be done and the suggested moves you have given taken altogether by the citizens, and action taken. Maybe someone with a lung condition can sue the city for contributing to his or her condition, and if it prospers, then action will be taken by the government. Also as the Director of the DOTC has been campaigning, let us report to him all traffic shenanigans so he can take action. Lets take his word for it and test if he really means what he says. We as citizens need to act and contribute our fair share in seeing things done and not only be good at words, My best to you dear friend and GOD bless.
Bill (and Resty),
SInce we have doubts on the will of the city government to actuallyimplement this ordinance, maybe we can help by using cameras and camera phones to take photos of smoke belching and forward them to city hall.
We can even post them on this blog, if you like.
Hiya Voltaire!
I agree that we as citizens should exercise our rights, privileges and duties as citizens by being ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS in the affairs of the city –in our own small way.
To carry Filipino pride and Baguio resident pride in our hearts in all the things we do and — MEDDLE!
Miss ya, dear friend!
Hooray! I hope our government really does crack down on smoke belching. To put it bluntly, I think the penalties are mild given that smoke belching affects the health of the populace. It’s not so different from slowly murdering an entire population, but that’s just me being dramatic. I’m with you on taking snapshots of offenders!
I think it’s a great idea to cut down on vehicles in Baguio City and to rationalize jeepney routes. Also, I think that both jeepney drivers and commuters should learn that they really CANNOT and SHOULD NOT STOP outside of designated loading and unloading zones or jeepney stops. Too many times I’ve seen a jeep stop and let some one off and then move forward about 5-meters only to stop again and let another person off! I can’t believe people can’t walk those extra 5-meters to get to where they’re going? But then the next question is, where are these loading and unloading zones and jeepney stops? They are non-existent at the moment, but if the city government would put them up and enforce them, then it would be another simple step towards improved traffic flow in our city, don’t you think?
And while we’re on the topic of pollution, I’m all for a law that protects us from NOISE POLLUTION, too. Let’s raise a ruckus about this one too! Heehee.
Yes Padma you’re so right about a passenger who alights, only for another passenger to say ‘para po’ 5 meters or even 10 meters later. Why couldn’t this passenger have gone down with the one earlier?
Yes, to protest against noise pollution, let’s have a noise barrage, haha. Better still, let offenders lie down on the road and have the arresting officer rev up their motorcycle exhausts in their ears for five minutes.
Redundance, we do not need another ordinance, marami ng existing laws laban sa smoke belching.
Anyway, more than twenty years, sana implement na ni pedz lahat ng existing ordinance, o di ayos!!!
go Pedro!!!
Kamusta kayo dyan mga manong ko Resty and Voltaire
Nagasawa kan ba manong Resty? hehehe
amen!!! Manong Voltaire, kamusta ni lakay?
James
hi james, you the lawyer from scout barrio? you know, that was the platform of atty perez when he ran for councilor, to collate the numerous ordinances to make it easier to implement them. sayang ket naabak met….
…still single and enjoying it, james
I am a biker myself and I totally agree to penalize bikers who will change their stock mufflers with a loud one. There should be a decibel rating specs for that. They should penalize smoke belchers only and not a specific group as a whole. These people are just showin up faces that they are doing somethin to fight pollution.. just doing somethin.. and they dont care if they are doin the right thing or not.. so long as they are doing somethin.. without losing their personal interests.
Their scheme of one-bike-a-belcher-all-bikes-are-belchers is very funny. Too bad the people behind this schemes call themselves lawyers. Im just an ordinary guy down the street but this is really awesome like a work of a li’l kid. Anyhow, I’ll just give credit where credit is due, this suits best if applied with jeepneys and taxis dont you think?
I agree, Adolfo,
A friend of mine who drives a Pajero and goes around all day said last night, “I’m such a smoke belcher, but no one has tried to catch me so far!”
It would be good if they started with the jeepneys really, as they congregate in the center of town — that would show political will.
Is it not that The Air Pollution Act covers this kind of cases?? I really dont know so please guys and gals educated me. I’m so ignorant on this cases I’d better stick to I.T. hehehe
lisa I’ve been reading this kind of a report where smoke belchers are to be penalize since the late 80’s and it is strange that you’re buying it.Believe me” baka magkaapo ka na” and you still you read or hear the same recycled report from our local politicians.
Hi Dan,
We have all sorts of laws — the problem with this country is implementation really. Also we love making new laws that may conflict with the others, placing a burden on the courts to interpret (lazy legislators…)
Hi Ed,
Well, what I wanted really, among other things, was to call everyone’s attention to pronouncements made by our local officials. To inform folks, so that they, in turn may watch if these people are true to their word.
Of course we do not believe them because they have been paying lip service to all sorts of things — clean and green, green park, environment.
But honestly, maybe we should patrol our city, report smoke belchers, actively help out, too, instead of being cynical and hopeless, no?
Still see a number of smoke belchers up to this day, Lisa. When oh when will this ordinance be enforced?
Hi Resty,
As I told Adolfo earlier, a friend of mine who drives a Pajero and goes around all day, “I’m such a smoke belcher, but no one has tried to catch me so far!”
Why do we keep voting these liars into office? I think they just like the power part and do not think themselves public servants. We have to remind them…
Lisa, I wonder if traffic enforcers, at times, get intimidated when traffic violators drive around in late model vehicles specially SUV’s.
Resty of course they do! It’s called self preservation. Happens when d hero instinct gets stuck in d back burner!
But watch them approach a beat up ol jallopy, now thats called “my chance to get back some of my dignity thats been stripped of by the system” they in turn become d abuser based on d pecking order. Hahaha
yes yes yes i know human nature can b pathetic at times.
Hiya Resty & Skippy,
I have seen da pulis pull over both types. Hahaha!