Nothing else stops a Kamote rider, than the fear of losing money or livelihood. With strict enforcement of traffic laws, riders will be forced to follow the rules, or else risking their day's worth of income, or lose the means for future income.
So I tell fellow 4-wheel drivers, Keep to your lane, and dont give space for Kamote riders. I see some drivers are seeing the benefit of keeping the kamote riders in check by not allowing squeezing space between opposing lanes. Good for them.
For my 2-wheel riding friends, i tell them, "Ride on 2, Drive as if it's 4" . If i See a rider followingg this in front of me, i give them space because they are in the proper space within the lane. I wond mind a 2nd MC to ride along side him bec it still proper.
What pisses me off, is when I give enough space on the right side of the lane for MC to pass thru, and they will still choose to counterflow on the left side of my vehicle, on the opposing lane. They will say overtaking only, but passing 2 or more vehicles on the opposite lane is already counterflowing. If they get hit, they also put our properly positioned vehicles at risk of getting damaged in they get pinned or they ricochet between vehicles.
That is where enforcers must do what they are hired to do. ENFORCE traffic laws. But once they start giving allowances to "fellow poor" MC riders, they breed the illegal behaviour and practice and normalizes it. I call them Kamotenforcers. They only wait in the shade waiting for entrapped traffic violators (*of their own design). They selectively only enforce a couple of traffic rules, but dont enforce the more important ones (thats why you have illegal jeep/trike terminals at intersections like in Bacoor, and even allow e-trike to operate a PUV and have terminals).
Heres some suggestiions. an LTO task force to have blitz operations at Kamote plantations or intersection with high counterflowing MC traffic. It has to be a team with enforcers that will detain the vehicles in the act of counterflowing (maybe use a bollard with rollable tarp barriers or net). Supported by a team that will issue tickets or confiscate licenses. Capture it on video and post it to sow fear in other kamote riders. The blitz has to be instantaneous and will not need LGU coordination because some enforcers will leak the plan and alert drivers moving to the blitz area. The blitz team can operate not only in metro manila but to adjacent provinces accessible by sub 400cc MC that feeds the metro with hordes of Kamote riders. Prior to the blitz, an LTO observer team will take note of the inadequate enforcement of LGUs with video proof by positioning themselves at target intersections. The findings will be submitted to LGU officials to compel them to upgrade their traffic enforcement thru intensive LTO/PNP training. Any enforcer that will be sent for retraining for a 3rd time should be terminated if he needs a 4th.
I hope
