A Tagbilaran City councilor has called for the enforcement of the national law which mandates all motorcyclists to wear helmets when travelling for protection in accident cases.
Councilor Augustinus Gonzaga said that the Helmet Law should be enforced while the existing ordinance which prohibits the use of any material including a helmet which covers the faces of motorcyclists should be amended.
The said ordinance was implemented as part of measures to address gun attacks and other crimes perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects.
However, Gonzaga’s proposal was raised after reports surfaced indicating the prevalence of fatal motorcycle accidents involving riders with no helmets in Tagbilaran.
Most motorcycle drivers and passengers from other towns remove their helmets once they enter the city due to the lax implementation of the national law, said Gonzaga.
In 2016, the police’s Highway Patrol Group strictly enforced the Helmet Law in Tagbilaran even with the existing ordinance.
Mayor John Geesnell Yap also noted that the national law will be observed over the city ordinance.
However, the strict enforcement of the law waned in the following months particularly in 2017. (AD)