THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday assured maximum visibility of traffic enforcers this Christmas season to prevent vehicular traffic congestion.
MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Romando Artes said traffic enforcers will be visible along the major thoroughfares in the metropolis.
Artes said that the agency would also extend the duty of Traffic Discipline Office personnel until 12 midnight in response to the 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. adjusted operating hours of malls and shopping centers in Metro Manila.
Artes instructed traffic enforcers to avoid “kumpulan” or grouping, and unnecessary use of cellular phones while on duty except when reporting traffic situations or accidents in their areas of assignment.
He likewise said that traffic management shall be prioritized and apprehension of simple and light traffic violations, which may hamper traffic flow, shall be minimized as necessary.
“Our primary duty and priority is to manage traffic first before apprehending erring motorists. We don’t allow the practice of waiting for motorists to violate traffic rules before flagging them down,” he said.
“However, to avoid impeded traffic flow, minor violations like swerving could be exempted on a case-to-case basis except for distracted driving and number coding,” Artes said.
Activities of field personnel will also be monitored through the use of CCTV cameras located at the MMDA Operations Monitoring and Control Center (Metrobase) to make sure that the policy and guidelines shall be strictly implemented.
Meanwhile, pursuant to the issued moratorium on road diggings, Artes mandated roadwork contractors to put steel plate covers on all excavations to make it passable to motorists, avoid accidents, and ensure smooth traffic flow.
Both the adjusted mall hours and temporary suspension on road diggings and excavations are part of the MMDA’s traffic mitigation measures this Christmas.