MMDA chairman suggests higher penalty for Jaywalkers

The chairman of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Francis Tolentino suggested on Sunday for increase in penalty for jaywalkers, saying that the recent fine appears as not enough to prevent disobedient pedestrians.

Tolentino said in an interview that in spite of the enormous quantity of taxpayers' money that had hooked on the building of footbridges, citizens keep on crossing streets where they are not supposed to.

He said, "What we want is to increase the penalty for jaywalking, and I will propose this to the Metro Manila Council when we meet on Tuesday."

On the other hand, MMDA Traffic Engineering Center chief Noemi Recio asked the public to exercise the use of footbridges and pedestrian lanes, and to avoid crossing on "unmarked and dangerous" sections of the road.

According to Recto, there are 106 footbridges had been built around Metro Manila, and 76 of it were built by the MMDA.

Since 1995 the anti-jaywalking regulation presently forced by MMDA traffic enforcers strikes violators with a Php 150 fine, to be paid within seven days, and obliges them to attend a seminar as well as to render community service of not over one day. — ARA