The Mandaue City Council has approved a resolution requiring all emergency vehicle drivers to undergo mandatory safety seminars and refresher training following a fatal ambulance crash in April 2026.
Resolution 397-2026 directs traffic and disaster offices to train drivers on road safety and the legal obligation to obey traffic laws, even during emergencies.
Policy aims to prevent reckless driving
Councilor Eugene Andaya, who authored the measure with Councilor Dante Borbajo, said the policy aims to prevent reckless driving and dangerous counterflowing, particularly on city flyovers.
The resolution tasks the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue, in coordination with the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Mandaue City Hospital, and the city’s 27 barangays, to conduct mandatory seminars for all ambulance and emergency vehicle drivers, including newly hired personnel.
Fatal crash prompted the measure
Andaya said the policy was prompted by the fatal ambulance crash on April 14 along the Archbishop Reyes Avenue Flyover in Barangay Apas, Cebu City, which claimed the life of 18-year-old Braille Nichole Kwek.
He noted that several accidents involving emergency vehicles have occurred, with some drivers mistakenly believing they are exempt from traffic laws while responding to emergencies.
“Some ambulance drivers think that everyone on the road must automatically give way to them,” said Andaya, adding that the refresher training is necessary to reinforce traffic laws and ensure drivers exercise caution at all times.
He stressed that emergency vehicle drivers must still obey traffic lights, road signs, and other regulations, regardless of urgency.
“They think that once they turn on the siren, everyone will move aside … But no matter how urgent the situation is, drivers must remain careful on the road,” Andaya said.
With the resolution, city officials aim to prevent similar incidents by ensuring emergency vehicle drivers are properly trained to balance urgency with road safety.
