More than 166 motor vehicle owners were issued with violation tickets while nine vehicles were towed as members of the newly-formed strike force of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) started the clearing operations along the Mabuhay Lanes in Quezon City.
Members of the MMDA's Strike Force have started clearing the Mabuhay Lanes amid the expected increase in teh volume of vehicles for Christmas. (photo: Mark Balmores)
The operation conducted by 108 MMDA Strike Force members was part of the efforts to clear the Mabuhay Lanes, which serve as alternative roads for EDSA and other busy roads in Quezon City, amid the expected increase of the volume of vehicles for the Christmas season.
MMDA Assistant General Manager for Operations David Angelo Vargas said violators of illegally parked vehicles will pay a fine of P1000, while unattended illegally parked vehicles will pay a fine of P2000.
Four of the nine vehicles towed were four-wheel cars while the rest are motorcycles, according to Vargas.
"To ensure that all roads covered by Mabuhay Lanes are passable, we are advising other motorists to avoid parking on sidewalks and roads so we can avoid traffic congestion and keep all roadways free from obstruction, as this serves as an alternate route for EDSA," Vargas said.
As part of the operations, some strike force members were equipped with body-worn cameras that could record the operations—and handheld ticketing devices to issue traffic violation tickets. Also, by using these ticketing devices, violators can pay their fines right away.
Vargas said they intend to conduct clearing operations in 10 areas every day for a quicker traffic management response.
“We are also urging the public to report areas with a large quantity of illegally parked vehicles,” said Vargas.