PROPER FOOTWEAR. The prohibition on wearing rubber slippers or any open type of footwear by motorcycle riders is put on hold in Dumaguete City due to public clamor for the definition of 'slippers'. Citation tickets issued by the city's Traffic Management Office specify the wearing of slippers as a violation. (Photo by Judy Flores Partlow)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The local government unit (LGU) here, through the Traffic Management Office (TMO), will allow for now the wearing of slippers or any open-toed footwear by motorcycle riders.
This, after public clamor snowballed for a clear definition of slippers, the wearing of which is among the violations printed in the citation tickets of the TMO.
Councilor Michael Bandal, head of the Discipline Zone enforcement group of the city, said they are easing up on this specific violation while the city is amending its citation tickets issued to traffic violators.
Traffic enforcers drew flak recently when they flagged down and issued citation tickets to motorcycle riders who were wearing rubber slippers, open-toed sandals or footwear that had the semblance of slippers.
Asked to define what “slippers” meant as a basis for apprehension, Councilor Bandal, a lawyer, admitted in an interview on Thursday that he also is confused, saying he also wears open-toed slip-ons or sandals.
He said he understands the wisdom behind the prohibition against the wearing of slippers, obviously to protect the feet of motorcycle riders.
“We’re aware of the national law on footwear requirements. However, unfortunately, our citation tickets only penalize the wearing of slippers,” he said, admitting the need to amend the rule on its prohibition.
The councilor said that in the meantime, traffic enforcers will flag down and advise motorists to wear closed shoes when riding motorcycles but not fine them if found to be wearing slip-ons and sandals.
“The enforcers will only issue citation tickets to violators of any of the offenses indicated in the citation ticket, such as the wearing of shorts,” as well as other laws related to traffic, like not wearing a helmet, he added.
Once the citation ticket is amended, motorcycle riders will no longer be allowed to wear any type of open footwear but closed shoes, he said.
Meanwhile, Bandal enjoined the people to wear a mask or any type of facial covering for the nose and mouth to avoid being penalized.
The penalty fee for not wearing a face mask or covering is PHP3,000, he said.
This is way higher than the penalty fees of other violations, as indicated in the citation tickets, he added.
The province of Negros Oriental is still under general community quarantine in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Wearing of facial mask is one of the safety protocols being pushed to ensure that there will be no local transmission of Covid-19, Bandal said.
The province does not have any single confirmed Covid-19 case for over a month now, nevertheless, authorities are not letting their guards down because nearby provinces like Cebu and Negros Occidental still have confirmed cases of the dreaded disease. (PNA)
