MORE than 300 drivers were flagged down and warned during the first day of the dry run of the suspension of window hours for private vehicles, according to the Metro Manila Development Authority.
The MMDA public information office reported that most of these vehicles were caught traversing Ortigas Avenue in Mandaluyong City from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. while the others were cited along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Muñoz Street, North Avenue and Cubao, all in Quezon City); Guadalupe in Makati City, Megamall and Boni Avenue, also in Mandaluyong City, and Edsa in Pasay City from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
The three-day dry run, which will last until October 14, was made ahead of the scheme’s full implementation from October 17 to January next year in anticipation of monstrous traffic during the holiday season.
MMDA officer-in-charge Thomas Orbos said traffic enforcers flagged down private vehicles without giving them citation tickets. “We just warn and inform them about the [revised] traffic scheme.”
Orbos said the Number Coding Scheme from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. covers both lanes of EDSA from Monumento in Caloocan City to Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City; Circumferential Road-5 (C-5 Road) including Luzon Flyover going to and from South Luzon Expressway), Alabang-Zapote Road in Muntinlupa City, and all areas in cities of Mandaluyong, Las Piñas and Mandaluyong.
“We really need to do this because we’re expecting heavy volume of vehicles during the Christmas season,” he said.
This developed as the Interagency Council in Traffic (I-ACT), composed of personnel from the MMDA and other government agencies, sought the active participation of local government units in monitoring and apprehending illegally-parked vehicles.
The I-ACT resumed its sidewalk clearing operation on Mabuhay Lanes, the alternate routes intended for private vehicles.
The latest operation conducted last Tuesday resulted in the apprehension of more than 30 vehicles parked illegally along Tramo Street in Pasay City.
The 17 Mabuhay Lanes are alternative routes to the already congested 23.8-kilometer Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. These cover the localities of Mandaluyong, Pasay, San Juan, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City. It also include secondary roads going to shopping destinations in Metro Manila such as Baclaran in Parañaque, Greenhills in San Juan, Divisoria, and Carriedo in Manila.
“I-ACT is requesting local executives to monitor, tow illegally parked vehicles along Mabuhay Lanes,” said Police-Highway Patrol Group (LPG) director and I-ACT chief traffic enforcer Antonio Gardiola.
Orbos said the cooperation of the public, most especially the community leaders, would be a big help to the government in its campaign. He said they will strictly enforce the no parking zone in all Mabuhay Lanes and will not tolerate violators with “padrino” system.
The government will also use these routes for the private vehicles to be affected by the full implementation of the number coding system without the window hours.
“We want the full cooperation of the people, as well as the private motorists. That is why we are encouraging them to use mass public transport,” said Orbos.
The MMDA last year created a social media reporting system in a bid to muster the public and private sectors in reporting to the agency all traffic obstructions on all roads in Metro Manila.
The report should include the name of the sender and the actual picture including the detailed location where the illegally parked vehicle or the obstruction was spotted and the time when it was taken.
The MMDA team tasked to monitor the reports will immediately verify all the information and forward it to the Traffic Discipline Office.
The Department of Transportation tapped the I-ACT to comb through the Mabuhay Lanes from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily to ensure the routes are free of traffic obstructions.
Based on the regulations, the Mabuhay Lanes should be cleared of any kinds of obstructions 24 hours a day.
The MMDA, under the supervision of then chairman Francis Tolentino, initiated the program three years ago designating 17 routes as Christmas Lanes or Mabuhay Lanes to help motorists to avoid heavy traffic during the Holiday rush.
The special lanes in Metro Manila were opened as alternate routes to shorten the travel time during Christmas holidays, when traffic flow is expected to be heavy.
Meanwhile, the MMDA ordered the closure of the Edsa-Muñoz intersection in Quezon City to ease road congestion in the area.
In its latest advisory, the MMDA stated “As part of the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) initiative to ease the traffic situation in major thoroughfares in Metro Manila, the Edsa-Muñoz intersection will be indefinitely closed to traffic starting Oct. 12, 2016, Wednesday, 2 p.m.”
“Motorists are advised to take the U-turn slot instead. Traffic directional signs will be installed and personnel will be deployed to guide the motoring public.”