Give way to ambulances and emergency vehicles, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has reminded motorists.
“Please give way to our emergency vehicles, they’re responding to save lives,” MMDA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago said in a statement, in response to a story about deaths in ambulances due to motorists who fail to give way amid the traffic gridlocks in Metro Manila.
Since there are no dedicated lanes for emergency vehicles in the Metro, Pialago said the agency looks for ways to keep roads open in times of emergency, amid the traffic gridlock.
The MMDA official said the personnel of the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group will assist emergency vehicles during heavy traffic.
“We are trying our best to solve this situation.”
“We assure the public that we are trying our best to solve this situation and that ambulances delivering patients on time is among our concerns,” she said.
“Solving the entire traffic situation of Metro Manila is still our goal, since that will mean ambulances will never have any traffic jams to deal with,” Pialago said.
A video went viral on social media, with over 3 million views, showing vehicles not giving way to an ambulance. The patient survived the trip but died in the hospital a week later.
“MMDA efforts in addressing Metro Manila’s traffic woes will keep such incidents from happening again.”
Pialago assured their efforts to address Metro Manila’s traffic woes aim to keep such incidents from happening again.
She said since the creation of the MMDA, part of its mandate in easing the flow of traffic in the Metro is to help ambulances reach hospitals on time.
“The problem of traffic is very complex, however, and the patients in ambulances are caught in the crossfire of factors,” Pialago said.
According to a joint administrative order released by the Department of Transportation and Communications in 2014, failure to yield right of way to an ambulance, police vehicle or firetrucks is punishable by a P1,000 fine payable to the Land Transportation Office.
She added that the MMDA also imposes a P150 fine on motorists who fail to give way to emergency vehicles.