Starting this January, the City of Manila will set up traffic discipline zones called “Pook Kaayusan” in at least 23 identified traffic choke points in the city’s busiest areas.
“By the mere term itself means these areas will serve as our new model for traffic management—free-flowing vehicular and pedestrian traffic, it will be organized,” Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada said.
“No illegal terminal or illegal parking, no trash … in other words, no blockage on the streets,” he added.
The 23 identified zones, Estrada said, are the most congested areas in Manila that need extra attention. And these traffic zones will be manned round-the-clock by traffic personnel who will be strictly enforcing traffic regulations.
Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau chief Dennis Alcoreza said Pook Kaayusan is similar to Pook Batayan implemented during the administration of then President Corazon Aquino.
Aquino issued Proclamation No. 312 on Sept. 1, 1988 identifying 19 areas in Metro Manila as strict traffic discipline zones.
“Our Pook Kaayusan will be manned by our new traffic enforcers who will be equipped with communication radios, megaphones, traffic violation tickets… and they will strictly enforce the rules and regulations,” Alcoreza said.
Ten enforcers will be permanently assigned to each Pook Kaayusan that will work in two shifts – from 6 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 10 pm every day, he added.
The would-be 23 Pook Kaayusan identified by MTPB are: Tayuman/LRT/Rizal avenue area; Recto/Rizal avenue.; Recto/Abad Santos; Plaza Ruiz/Juan Luna; Pedro Gil/Taft avenue; Pablo Ocampo/Taft; Juan Luna/Solis; Juan Luna/Capulong/Pritil; Quirino avenue /Taft; Blumentritt/España; Capulong/Velasquez; P. Burgos in front of KKK; San Marcelino/Ayala boulevard; Mendiola/Legarda streets; Arroceros/City Hall; España/Lacson; Blumentritt /Aurora; West Zamora/Quirino avenue; P. Faura/Taft; U.N. avenue/Taft; Blumentritt/Rizal avenue; Hermosa/Rizal avenue; and Sta. Mesa/Nagtahan area.
Alcoreza said they will also put up closed circuit television cameras in the Pook Kaayusan zones that will be constantly monitored by the command center at the city hall.
There have been proposals by various sectors to grant emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte to resolve the debilitating traffic congestion in the metropolis, including the 77 identified traffic choke points along national roads especially those traversing, or linked to EDSA.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was quoted as estimating three years ago that the Philippines is losing some P2.4 billion daily due to traffic congestion.