The city government of Manila on Tuesday formed a special team tasked to discipline vendors, motorists and pedestrians as part of its renewed campaign to restore peace and order.
The team dubbed as Discipline Zones Team will be composed of personnel from the city’s Traffic and Parking Bureau, Manila Police District, Barangay Bureau and Special Weapons and Tactics.
“Mayor Joseph Estrada is out to retake perennially chaotic roads from illegal vendors and undisciplined motorists and pedestrians who have ruled over them for years. The many years of neglect by previous administrations on traffic and order concerns have brought about this major problem that had thus bred a seeming anarchy in some areas in Manila,” said Ver Eustaquio, director of the Manila Barangay Bureau.
The MBB chief said the main forces of the team will be the current 450-man traffic and parking bureau, and more than 2,000 barangay volunteers who will be adequately trained for the task.
“These main forces will closely coordinate with the MPD and the SWAT in their implementation of Mayor Estrada’s directive,” said Eustaquio.
Eustaquio said Estrada wants the new traffic enforcement team to start restoring order along the stretch of Recto Avenue going to Divisoria, which is also known as the “Pambansang Pelengke.”
He said the project will primarily ensure smooth flow of traffic for motorists, pedestrians and products in the Divisoria area, one of their declared 10 “hotspots” which are priority areas for the project’s implementation including: the Blumenttrit, Reina Regente, Soler, Abad Santos, Antonio Rivera, Juan Luna, Narra, Plaza Ruiz and Sta. Elena areas.
“Illegal vendors; unauthorized terminals of jeepneys, tricycles and pedicabs; mountains of garbage here and there; illegally parked vehicles…these are the many road obstructions…and these are the main challenges for the team to respond to and resolve,” said Eustaquio.
“Practically all of these will be removed, but there will be windows of accommodation for those who are in legitimate business or livelihood and who are not obstructing foot and vehicular traffic,” he said.
Eustaquio said Estrada’s directive is to ensure that all identified hotspots to have smooth and efficient flow of traffic, cleanliness and orderliness, and the safety and security of pedestrians, commuters, motorists and the moving goods
He said the team will likewise serve as deterrent to crimes which are usually rampant in these areas especially during the holidays such as snatching, holdup’s and the like.
