Govt' suspends implementation of Anti-Distracted Driving Act – LTFRB

The enforcement of the controversial Anti-Distracted Driving Act has been suspended amid calls by lawmakers to review its implementing rules and regulations, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Tuesday.

"We will abide with the authors of the law and the Committee on Transportation. And the Department of Transportation will focus more on information dissemination and will hold the enforcement," LTFRB Board Member and spokesperson Aileen Lizada told reporters in a text message.

Lizada issued the statement after the House Committee on Transportation told officials of the Department of Transportation that the full implementation of Republic Act 10913 or ADDA should follow a six-month "aggressive" information campaign as required by the law.

@gmanews House transpo comm chair Sarmiento reiterates that Anti-Distracted Driving Act requires 6-month info campaign before implementation.

— Aica Dioquino (@AicaDioquino) May 23, 2017

RA 10913, which took effect on May 18, has caused confusion among motorists due to lack of proper information dissemination.

“Key officials” of the DOTr are meeting on the matter as of this posting, Lizada said, particularly on when to resume implementation of the law.

Awareness campaign

House members on Monday pinned Transportation officials over the provision in the law that calls for a six-month “aggressive” information and education campaign “for a period of six months from the effectivity” of the Act.

LTO chief Edgar Galvante acknowledged the Land Transportation Office merely conducted an “awareness campaign” for enforcers but not for the public at large.

During the hearing, a motion was made to “hold in abeyance” the implementation of law in line with the provision.

One of the law's authors, Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, affirmed that “there must be an information and education campaign” before the Anti-Distracted Driving Act is implemented.

Under the law, prohibited acts while driving include using a mobile communications device to write, send or read a text messages, or to make or receive calls and using an electronic entertainment or computing device to play games, watch movies, surf the internet, compose messages, read e-books, perform calculation and other similar acts.

Violators will be penalized with a fine of P5,000 for the first offense, P10,000 for the second offense and P15,000 for the third offense with a three-month suspension of driver’s license.

Violations incurred beyond the third offense shall be penalized with the revocation of driver’s license and a fine of P20,000.

Unfair

Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe said transportation agencies should refrain from apprehending supposed violators until the need for an information drive is fully satisfied.

However, Galvante reiterated that the LTO does not “have the authority” to do that unless approved by both chambers of Congress.

The “sense of the committee” was that the information drive should come first to avoid confusion over the rules, Transportation committee chair Edgar Sarmiento noted.

“Since implementing agencies failed to do that, it would be unfair to the public na mahuli nang hindi nila naiintindihan,” Sarmiento told reporters after the hearing.

“Basta ang sense ng committee on Transportation, go into massive information and education campaign. And once that’s done, then that’s the time they can implement,” he added.

Asked if the Transportation agencies illegally implemented the law, Sarmiento said not necessarily. “Well, sa akin personally, ‘yung hindi nasunod ‘yun [provision], it would appear na irregular.”

The committee chief noted that the confusion may have come from the fact that the agencies were implementing the law alongside the Joint Administrative Order 2014-01, which imposes stricter fines and penalties against erring public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators. — VDS, GMA News