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96 COPS IN TWO SHIFTS
PNoy orders PNP: Fix EDSA traffic
By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News
(Updated 8:29 p.m.) President Benigno Aquino III has ordered the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group to lead the enforcement of traffic rules and ease the congestion in six major intersections on EDSA, Malacañang announced on Tuesday.
During a meeting in Malacañang, Aquino particularly directed the HPG to lead the traffic clearing operations, with the help of the Metro Manila Development Authority, Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The "major intersections” to be cleared are Balintawak, Cubao, Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe and Taft Avenue.
HPG director Chief Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao said the group would deploy police officers, cars and motorcycle to comply with the President's order.
"We will provide Traffic Direction and Control (TDC) along EDSA giving emphasis on six choke points," Gunnacao told GMA News in a text message.
"We will deploy 96 personnel in two shifts with motorcycles and mobile cars. We will assist MMDA to ensure orderly traffic along EDSA," he added.
According to GMA News "24 Oras," there are now over 500 MMDA traffic constables assigned on the highway.
With the President's new directive, some of MMDA constables would be assigned to other primary roads.
HPG director Chief Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao said the group would deploy police officers, cars and motorcycle to comply with the President's order.
"We will provide Traffic Direction and Control (TDC) along EDSA giving emphasis on six choke points," Gunnacao told GMA News in a text message.
"We will deploy 96 personnel in two shifts with motorcycles and mobile cars. We will assist MMDA to ensure orderly traffic along EDSA," he added.
According to GMA News "24 Oras," there are now over 500 MMDA traffic constables assigned on the highway.
With the President's new directive, some of MMDA constables would be assigned to other primary roads.
The clearing will be carried out by strictly enforcing bus lanes along EDSA, and by removing obstructions along the thoroughfare and alternate routes, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. explained at a press briefing.
Heaviest volume
Heaviest volume
Coloma said the government is prioritizing decongesting EDSA traffic since it “has the heaviest volume of vehicle traffic and people throughput daily.”
“Alam na alam naman natin 'yon talagang six major chokepoints na 'yun ang pinagmumulan ng karamihan sa mga traffic problems natin,” he told reporters.
Stakeholders such as bus and public utility operators, truckers and port users will be consulted as authorities carry out Aquino’s directive, he added.
Further, Coloma said the clearing of these major intersections is just the government’s “immediate” action to solve traffic congestion. He said Aquino asked government officials to “review and fine-tune” action proposals that will provide more long-term solutions to the traffic problem.
“President Aquino ordered… the submission of detailed implementation plans that take into account the need for holistic solutions, unified action among concerned government agencies and heightened awareness to ensure citizen cooperation,” Coloma said.
‘MMDA did its job’
MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino doesn't take the President's new directive as an indication that the MMDA failed in fulfilling its mandate of ensuring the orderly flow of traffic.
"May mga namatay na nga diyan kaka-traffic, 'di ba? May nasagasaan na 'di ba? Palagay ko naman e, kung namatay ka sa pagpapatupad ng iyong trabaho, ay ginagawa mo talaga ang trabaho mo," Tolentino told GMA News.
‘MMDA did its job’
MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino doesn't take the President's new directive as an indication that the MMDA failed in fulfilling its mandate of ensuring the orderly flow of traffic.
"May mga namatay na nga diyan kaka-traffic, 'di ba? May nasagasaan na 'di ba? Palagay ko naman e, kung namatay ka sa pagpapatupad ng iyong trabaho, ay ginagawa mo talaga ang trabaho mo," Tolentino told GMA News.
Last week, the President said the government is eyeing the implementation of an odd-even scheme to halve the number of vehicles plying Metro Manila roads daily.
A study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) last year warned that the Philippine government can lose up to P6 billion a day by 2030 if the traffic congestion will not be addressed. — with a report from Ian Cruz/RSJ/NB/JST, GMA News
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