The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started penalizing motorists violating the exclusive motorcycle lane policy along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.
As of 12 noon Monday, at least 1,200 motorists were apprehended and given citation tickets by MMDA traffic enforcers. Of this number, 482 were motorcycle riders while 757 were drivers of private vehicles.
Implementation of the exclusive motorcycle lane aims to reduce the number of serious road accidents involving motorcycles, and to improve traffic flow on Commonwealth Avenue from Elliptical Road to Dona Carmen and vice versa.
Based on the MMDA guidelines, the first lane of the road is dedicated for bicycles, second lane for public utility vehicles, third for motorcycles, while the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth Lanes are for all all other vehicles.
Under the guidelines, vehicles entering or exiting side streets or intersections should only deviate from their lanes using the transition lines or pavement markings installed at a minimum of 100 meters from the solid line (depending on the road width) of their respective lanes giving adequate and advance warning of their intention to enter or exit such side street or intersection.
“The driver should give adequate and advance warning by turning the vehicle’s signal or turning lights on and slowly veering towards the painted transition lines,” the rules stated.
“U-turning vehicles are allowed to deviate from their dedicated lanes 200 meters from their intended U-turn slot. The corresponding transition lines or pavement markings shall be installed to serve as guide for that purpose. The same care and diligence as drivers of right turning vehicles are expected of drivers of vehicles intending to make use of a U-turn slot along Commonwealth Avenue.”
PUV violators will be fined P1,200, while motorcycles and private cars will be penalized with P500 fine.
Based on MMDA’s Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System, a total of 1,686 or five cases a day of motorcycle-related road accidents along Commonwealth Avenue were recorded for the year 2022. Of that figure, 13 cases resulted in deaths, 930 in non-fatal injuries, and 743 in damage to property.