60 kph speed limit eyed to lessen road mishaps

The imposition of a 60-kilometer per hour (kph) speed limit in major roads and highways of Metro Manila has been proposed in the House of Representatives over the weekend.

Rep. Winston Castelo of Quezon City made the call under his House Bill 4775 or the Speed Limit Act of 2011, saying that a Metro Manila-wide speed limit will help the country achieve a zero road accident rate.

The Quezon City lawmaker cited that the 60 kph speed limit earlier implemented along Commonwealth Avenue in his district has significantly reduced the number of road accidents and that such strategy augurs well with the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan for the next ten years which was signed by President Benigno Aquino 3rd last May.

“This bill aims to preserve this gain [on speed limit in Commonwealth] or else everything goes to naught. The high incidence of road accidents is a public health concern,” Castelo pointed out.

Castelo’s measure will cover all kinds of vehicles or those classified by the competent regulatory authority as Classes 1, 2 and 3. However, ambulances in life-saving mission, fire trucks in fire-prevention calls, mobile police cars or vehicles in hot pursuits and other government vehicles in similar emergencies or crises requiring mobilization from one point to another are exempted from the coverage.

BY LLANESCA T. PANTI