By Theresa Fe Q. Pitogo

Davao City (23 February) -- City vehicular apprehensions increased compared to last year's records. The Traffic Management Center recorded 4,285 vehicular apprehensions since January this year.

Celso T. Gempesaw, Chief Traffic Management Center of Davao City, said that common violations are obstruction, disregarding of traffic rules, no crash helmets, driving without license, unregistered vehicles and defective headlights.

Gempesaw said the increase is due to increasing vehicle ownership by the citizens. In the year 2006, there were 60,000 registered vehicles and increased to 109,000 in the year 2007. Davao City being the center of economic activity in the region composes 35% of the vehicles coming in and out of the city daily.

However TMC noted a 93% of reduction of car in vehicular accidents since the utilization of traffic lights especially in intersections. There is an increase in motorcycle accidents since motorcycles are now cheaper.

Gempesaw suspects that the records they have are not everything because the number of employees that they have in 2003 is the same number until this year and there are 45 intersections added. He said that they cannot monitor every place in Davao where there are probable traffic violators.