THE Metro Manila Development Authority has started regulating the routes of public utility jeepneys in the National Capital Region in a bid to further ease traffic in the metropolis, especially on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
Beginning 6 a.m. of Feb. 13, more than 2,600 PUJs in Guadalupe, Makati going to Leon Guinto and Taft Avenue in Manila and areas in Taguig and Pateros will not be allowed to use Edsa and were directed to utilize secondary roads or their original routes, instead.
The MMDA will enforce the new measure initially in Guadalupe, citing the area as one of the identified locations with the worst traffic situations along Edsa.
The agency announced this Wednesday following a meeting with barangay and other community leaders in Guadalupe who will assist the MMDA in the clearing operations of illegally parked vehicles and other road obstructions, including sidewalk vendors to be affected by the new traffic scheme.
“We will be in full force in clearing the sidewalks and vendors. We will send our team from the anti-jaywalking and anti-illegal parking units to tow illegally parked vehicles. We will do this also with the help of the Makati traffic enforcers and barangay officials,” said MMDA Traffic Engineering Office director Noemie Recio.
Recio said the city government of Makati assured it will deploy at least 100 personnel from the Makati Public Safety Office to assist in the clearing operations.
The PUJs uses the P. Burgos Street then turn right to Edsa going to Guadalupe interchange toward their destination. But beginning Monday, the MMDA will enforce the new traffic management plan prepared for them.
The scheme, according to the MMDA, will ease the road congestion because there will be a free flow of traffic for private vehicles and public utility buses using Edsa Guadalupe.