Irked by the rampant illegal parking of cargo trucks and other vehicles along R-10 Road in Tondo, Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada led another clearing operation in the area Monday to decongest the 10-lane thoroughfare.
Estrada ordered the impounding of dozens of trucks, public utility vehicles such as jeepneys and tricycles, and private cars that occupied several lanes of Radial Road 10 and have been slowing traffic in the area.
“We took pains relocating the informal settlers here to clear the road and speed up traffic flow, but these illegally parked vehicles took their place. This cannot be,” he said.
Estrada said he would have the concerned barangay officials explain this excessive disregard of traffic laws.
Just last week, the mayor threatened to charge local barangay officials that are uncooperative with the city government’s ongoing road clearing operations in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to involve barangay officials in clearing roads of obstructions.
In an April 12 memorandum, the Department of Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region issued a memorandum enjoining all barangay chairmen “to ensure that all roads within their area of jurisdiction are free from all kinds of obstructions.”
DILG-NCR said Duterte has instructed its office and the Metro Manila Development Authority to sue barangay officials who will tolerate illegal parking and all kinds of road obstructions in their territorial jurisdictions for neglect of duty.
During the operation, Estrada brought in a composite team composed of members of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, Urban Settlements Office, Department of Public Services, Office of the City Engineer, and Traffic Enforcement Unit of the Manila Police District.
The MMDA and the Department of Public Works and Highways also took part in the operation.
The road clearing and anti-illegal parking operation covered the entire Manila portion of R-10 from Zaragosa Street to Smokey Mountain in Tondo.
“This road is very critical with regards to trade and commerce in the Port Area. This is not only anti-illegal parking operation but also a ‘pro-economic progress’ drive,” MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza said.
He found it ironic, however, that most of the illegally parked vehicles were cargo and trailer trucks operating out of the Manila North and South Harbors and Manila International Container Terminal.
“Mayor Erap has instructed us to declare the entire stretch of R-10 a ‘No Parking’ zone, meaning any vehicle we see parked on the sidewalk and curb will be towed away immediately,” Alcoreza said.
He said traffic jams in R-10 delay and hamper the operation of container trucks that transport vital goods to and from the Port of Manila to various locations in the country and abroad.
He added this is the first time that R-10 has been totally cleared of informal settler families whom the city government have relocated.
Urban Settlements chief Danny Isiderio said hundreds of ISFs living along R-10 have been relocated to Pandi, Bulacan on orders of Estrada.
“But as you can see, yes, we have cleared the area, but trucks have made this their parking area,” he said.
Since June last year, Estrada has intensified the city government’s road and sidewalk clearing operations, driving away more than 3,500 illegal vendors and removing countless number of obstructions and illegal structures.
The mayor said the time has come to clear up the precious road spaces that have been occupied by illegal vendors and illegally parked vehicles to relieve traffic congestion in Manila’s thoroughfares.
Estrada has personally led clearing operations in Divisoria, Blumentritt, Quiapo, Binondo, Sta. Cruz, R-10, and Pedro Gil, among others, and major roads leading to and from the Port of Manila.