NO penalty for non-use of designated motorcycle lanes

NO administrative fine shall be imposed upon motorcycles operating outside designated lanes.

This was clarified during the City Council regular session Monday presided over by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin V. Uy after the approval last week of Ordinance No. 14147-2021, establishing and designating motorcycle lanes in selected major thoroughfares in Cagayan de Oro City.

Councilor Lordan G. Suan, author of the ordinance, said there should be no penalty for this provision, which was unintentionally overlooked during the review of the ordinance.

Section 6 (a) of the ordinance supposedly imposes administrative fines of P500, P1000 and P3000 for first, second, third, and subsequent offenses, respectively. This was, however, deleted from the final draft of the ordinance upon the manifestation of Councilor Suan.

The ordinance, co-authored by Councilor Zaldy Ocon, Teodulfo E. Lao, Jr., Roger Abaday and Romeo Calizo seeks to ensure the safety of motorists who prefer motorcycles as their mode of transportation due to its affordability and easy maintenance compared to four-wheeled vehicles.

Administrative fines of P1500, P3000, and P5000 for the first, second, third, and subsequent offenses, respectively, shall however still be imposed for lane splitting or filtering.