At least 25 vehicles were either issued with traffic violation tickets or were towed as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) started to clear the Panay Avenue in Quezon City part of the Mabujay Lanes of illegally-parked cars.

MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said the citation tickets and towing happened in just a span of 30 minutes when they started the clearing operations on Wednesday, March 16.

"The MMDA is serious in its bid to decongest EDSA and provide motorists with alternate routes that are passable and free from obstructions. We are closely coordinating with the local government units and the Department of Interior and Local Government to ensure that these roads will be maintained obstruction-free," Artes said.

The operation, he said, will be done regularly.

The Mabuhay Lanes are being used as an alternative route to decongest EDSA and other thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

Illegal parking along the Mabuhay Lanes have been a recurring problem as local residents and other car owners would use portions of the road as their parking area.

Illegally parked vehicles were ticketed and towed. Penalty for attended illegally parked vehicles is P1000 while unattended illegally parked vehicles will be fined P2000.

Towed vehicles will be brought to the agency's impounding area in Tumana, Marikina.

Artes said there is a need to clear all roads of obstructions especially that the traffic situation in Metro Manila has started to return to pre-pandemic when Covid Alert Level 1 was hoisted.

He vowed to clear Metro Manila roads within three months.

"We want to ensure that at the end of our term, we will turnover obstruction-free and orderly Metro Manila roads to the next administration," Artes said.

Meanwhile, Artes said that there is still no need to expand the number coding as vehicle volume is still below the pre-pandemic levels. He also said that the increase in gasoline prices is a possible factor to the lesser number of vehicles traversing EDSA.