Part Two
IN the city of Manila, headed by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, efforts to clear major thoroughfares of illegal vendors, illegal terminals, road obstructions and illegally parked vehicles have been intensified over the past months in order to ease traffic congestion.
Despite of this, it seems the problem on illegal parking is giving not only law enforcers a headache but motorists and pedestrians, as well.
Along the two-way Maria Orosa Street near corner Pedro Gil, vehicles are allowed to park left and right despite its narrowness, slowing down passing motorists.
Estrada had acknowledged that most of the streets in Manila are narrow, owing to its Spanish-era design when the calesa, a horse-drawn carriage, was the main transportation mode back then.
“This is why we have narrow roads, which is often the cause of traffic congestion and, in rare instances, road-rage cases like the one that happened in Quiapo,” Estrada said, referring to the recent road rage in Manila where cyclist Mark Vincent Garalde was shot dead by a former Army reservist a few months ago.
Following the incident, the Manila City government immediately contemplated putting up dedicated bike lanes in some streets of Manila, one of the oldest inhabited cities in Southeast Asia.
Criminal syndicates
IN San Andres Bukid, jeepneys and private vehicles are parked on side streets, particularly along Dagonoy Street. The Businessmirror also noticed private vehicles parked outside the Manila Pavillon Hotel corner United Nations Avenue and T.M. Kalaw Avenue, leaving only one lane to what used to be a four-lane street for motorists.
Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) Head Dennis Alcoreza, who assumed the post only last month, admitted that, aside from illegally parked vehicles, another concerned is the lack of parking at all of car owners.
He also noted that other common, but illegal, parking practices in Manila are perpendicular parking and parking in “no parking” zones.
Alcoreza added there are even criminal syndicates handling parking in some areas, such as Divisoria.
“Marami pang mga sindikato sa parking, lalo na sa Divisoria. Actually, next week sa Chinatown area I just met with the chairmen around Chinatown area with their [crime syndicates’] presence,” Alcoreza said. “We will clear the Chinatown open area. ’Yung mga sindikato na ’yan, usually mga local gatekeepers ’yan.”
During his one-month stint, Alcoreza said he has implemented a “single-command” police system, which requires every traffic enforcer to directly report to the Manila Traffic Police, under the supervision of the MTPB.
“It means the police is now issuing the orders,” Alcoreza explained. “If the PNP [Philippine National Police] is involved, the enforcement will be stronger.”
Too many
UNLIKE the previous administration, Alcoreza said enforcement is weak because they are many people calling the shots.“Now, you can easily pinpoint where the problem is,” he said. “Now, there is accountability.”
To address the problem on illegal parking, Alcoreza cited a need for a Manila-wide mapping and no-parking zones. Through the mapping, we can identify which areas are allowed for parking and which are not, he explained.
“’Yung mga sumusuway, automatic na huhulihin na. [Violators would be automatically apprehended].”
Alcoreza added they plan to have a clear-cut policy where motorists can park “para hindi na subject to interpretation ng mga tao, traffic enforcers and the barangay officials.”
Still, Alcoreza said the proposal to implement a city-wide no-parking policy for Manila employees to discourage them from bringing their cars needs further study.
“I think it needs further consultation. We don’t want to be arbitrary,” he explained. “The thing is baka mamaya hindi grounded; maybe this will be another ordinance that we cannot implement.” Alcoreza said the proposals need further studies.
While a city-wide no-parking policy is still being studied, the city government has embarked on an intensify campaign to remove road obstructions, such as illegally parked vehicles, to ensure smooth traffic flow in various major thoroughfares, particularly in the country’s oldest economic hub: Binondo.
Designated execs
THE Manila Police District Traffic Enforcement Unit (MPD-TEU), the MTPB and the Manila Barangay Bureau (MBB) have been designated to be at the forefront of the efforts to clear the roads with illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions.
Alcoreza also said the proposed tripartite agreement between the city government, the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Fejodap) and similar group Pasang Masda to address the proliferation of colorum jeepneys and illegal terminals will be finally pushing through next week.
Under the tripartite agreement, the city government, through the MTPB, will closely work with Fejodap and Pasang Masda members in identifying and apprehending colorum drivers and operators plying the city’s main roads and city streets.
A system will be established where legitimately franchised Fejodap and Pasang Masda driver-members, acting as the city government’s “eyes and ears,” will be able to report directly to MTPB traffic enforcers any colorum vehicles they spot on the road.
Alcoreza said a special unit of traffic enforcers is being formed to receive, verify and act on the reports to be submitted by the Fejodap and Pasang Masda members.
He is optimistic this agreement at the grassroots level would solidify efforts to clear up major thoroughfares.
To be concluded
Image credits: Nonie Reyes