MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando stressed, however, that the designated detention sites for drunken drivers would serve only as temporarily holding area where intoxicated motorists will be allowed time to sober up.

The move is designed to keep unfit drivers off the streets where they are likely to collide with other motorists or run over unsuspecting pedestrians.

Police records in Metro Manila disclosed that more than 30 percent of the vehicular accidents are either drug or alcohol related while the rest could be traced to mechanical trouble or the drivers’ bad judgment.

Fernando appealed to motorists not to drink if they are going to drive as he emphasized that the MMDA emergency stations are not detention cells and would only serve to contain drunken drivers for six to eight hours or until they are sober.

The public has blamed the MMDA for some of the road accidents.

They cited the case of McKinley Road in Forbes Park, Makati City where Fernando refused to give in to demands for the installation of road humps to deter vehicular mishaps.

Fernando insisted that the humps slow down the normal flow of traffic as he suggested that some branches of trees on blind curves may have to be trimmed to clear the view of motorists.

Traffic enforcers noted that speeding and drunken driving are major causes of vehicular accidents in the area as they maintained that such incidents would have been avoided if only the traffic rules were followed.

Fernando appealed to motorists that if you would drink don’t drive as he emphasized that the MMDA emergency stations are not detention cells and would only serve to contain drunken drivers for six to eight hours or until they are sober.

Critics, however, doubted the MMDA’s capacity to apprehend drunken drivers as they also questioned if the agency is equipped to deal with the situation. (Chito A. Chavez)