NAGA CITY - Some 135 public utility vehicle drivers, including private car owners in this city have been issued arrest warrants by a local court for various traffic ordinance violations.

        Municipal Trial Court Branch 1 Presiding Judge Jose Nacional had issued arrest warrants against drivers who failed to respond to the subpoenas earlier issued by the court.

        According to Lito del Rosario, executive officer of the Naga City Public Safety Office, the erring drivers are being ordered arrested for various violations, such as refusal to convey passengers, excessive charging of fares, disregarding traffic rules, arrogance, and other acts contrary to the existing traffic ordinances in this city.

        Also covered by the arrest warrants are motorists who failed to wear helmets while in transit and those found to have driven vehicles with out the necessary licenses.

        Del Rosario commended the assistance extended by the Naga City Police under P/Supt Benjamin S. Suratos; Traffic Division headed by PSI Romeo J. Perez, Jr.; and SPO2 Roberto R. Tuason, chief of the Warrant Section, for the coordinated efforts leading to the issuance of arrest warrants, cited as the first in the serious campaign in the strict implementation of existing traffic rules and ordinances.

        It will be recalled that despite unrelenting campaign, drivers, as well as motorists, continue to ignore traffic rules, partly due to the minimal fine being imposed by virtue of the corresponding ordinance.

        As a growing bustling city, “we need to look for ways and means so that these drivers would continue to respect our laws,” PSO chief del Rosario stressed.

        He added that pursuing drastic move against traffic violators means sending them a clear message that the city’s traffic enforcers and authorities really mean business.