LACSON PUSHES MORE RANDOM CHECKS VS FAKE AMBULANCE EMERGENCY RUNS AT RUSH HOUR

SENATE President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Friday pushed for more random checks targeting fake emergency runs by ambulances especially at rush hour.

Lacson pointed out that such vehicles, which use loud sirens, are not only annoying but can be potential hazards to motorists and commuters.

“More random checks on siren-blaring ‘ambulances’ especially during rush hours should be conducted. Drivers of vehicles with no emergency patients must be apprehended, their licenses revoked and charged, if warranted. Aside from (being) annoying, they can be traffic hazards,” he said on X.

Earlier, the Department of Transportation Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DoTr-SAICT) stopped an ambulance using the EDSA Busway Santolan station.

Investigation showed the ambulance was being used not as an emergency vehicle but as a shuttle service for passengers going to the hospital for a checkup.

Last year, Lacson proposed that buses using the EDSA busway go the other way, to discourage unauthorized vehicles from using it especially during rush hour.

This can be paired with the proper infrastructure where commuters can get off at the center island instead of along the highway so they can avoid getting hit by cars, since the buses’ doors are on the right side.

He said this should end the potential for abuse by violators as no one wants a head-on collision.

The EDSA busway is a dedicated bus lane that aims to give commuters a safe and reliable option for transport.