LTO suspends licenses of two Makati drivers who blocked fire trucks
A BFP fire truck attempts to pass through Macabulos Street in Barangay Bangkal, Makati City, on 12 September, as vehicles double-park along the road.
Jonathan Dela Cruz
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A BFP fire truck attempts to pass through Macabulos Street in Barangay Bangkal, Makati City, on 12 September, as vehicles double-park along the road.
Jonathan Dela Cruz
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) reported Saturday that two drivers involved in separate incidents of double parking and failure to give way to fire trucks in Makati City face driver’s license suspensions ranging from three months to one year.
The suspensions followed hearings on two incidents that delayed Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) trucks responding to emergencies along Macabulos Street in Barangay Bangkal and in Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City.
The agency recently issued Show Cause Orders (SCOs) to the drivers after videos showing the incidents of double parking and failure to give way to responding fire trucks went viral.
During hearings conducted by the LTO’s Intelligence and Investigation Division (IID), the drivers appeared and submitted their explanations and relevant documents.
After reviewing the evidence and statements of the respondents, the LTO issued recommendations for each case.
In the Macabulos Street incident in Barangay Bangkal, the driver admitted that his vehicle was parked and blocking the road on 12 September. He explained that he was repairing the vehicle at the time and that it had been placed on a jack with one wheel removed, preventing him from immediately moving it.
The driver was found liable for obstruction of traffic and parking in prohibited places. He was also declared an improper person to operate a motor vehicle, resulting in a three-month suspension of his driver’s license.
Meanwhile, in the Guadalupe Nuevo incident, the driver explained that he had no intention of blocking the fire truck and was unable to immediately find a suitable place to pull over and allow it to pass.
The video showed available space on the right side of the road where the driver could have temporarily moved aside to give way to the responding fire truck.
The driver was found to have violated the rules on failure to yield right of way to police and other emergency vehicles and obstruction of traffic. He was also declared an improper person to operate a motor vehicle, resulting in a one-year suspension of his driver’s license.
The LTO said the two drivers surrendered their licenses, while the vehicles involved were placed under alarm status in accordance with agency procedures.
