Strike force vs illegal parking deployed

MANILA, Philippines — A strike force has been set up to speed up clearing operations and apprehension of motorists illegally parking their vehicles along major roads, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced last Friday.

Over 70 MMDA personnel onboard motorcycles would be deployed to add to the personnel, including a tow truck, taking charge of clearing major thoroughfares and so-called Mabuhay Lanes or alternate routes in Metro Manila, according to MMDA acting Chairman Romando Artes.

The augmentation of the said strike force during road clearing operations would hasten apprehension of motorists caught for illegal parking, he said during a press conference hosted by the Philippine Information Agency.

The members of the strike force would be equipped with body-worn cameras to film potential offenders who park their vehicles illegally, as well as handheld ticketing devices to issue violation tickets on the spot.

Currently, violators have to pay P1,000 for attended illegal parking or when a driver is inside his illegally parked vehicle, while those who leave their illegally parked vehicles behind would have to pay a fine worth P2,000.

Artes explained that currently, the agency could only accomplish up to four road clearing operations because it usually took time to pull illegally parked vehicles.

“The target of our motorcycle riding enforcers is to cover at least 10 areas per team. If we have five to six teams, we could cover as many as 50 areas,” he said.

He appealed to motorists to avoid parking their vehicles along Mabuhay Lanes, especially those that could be used as alternate routes to avoid major roads like EDSA, which is expected to get congested during the Christmas season.