MMDA teams now armed… with DILG memo

MANILA, Philippines - Teams from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) tasked to clear mabuhay lanes of illegally parked vehicles are now armed with copies of a memorandum issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordering local government units (LGUs) to cooperate in the clearing, an official said yesterday.

The members of each clearing team will present the memo should any local government official confront them during the clearing operation, MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos said.

“The LGUs have long been made aware of the clearing of the mabuhay lanes. We will continue clearing these lanes of obstructions and illegally parked vehicles,” he said.

On Thursday, an MMDA clearing operation along Annapolis street in Greenhills, San Juan City was aborted after city government officials questioned the legality of the operation.

During the confrontation, MMDA Task Force Mabuhay Lanes head Nestor Mendoza explained that the operation is covered by the DILG memo, which virtually revokes all local ordinances and permits that allow parking along designated mabuhay lanes.

The MMDA team was forced to stop the operation and release some motorcycles that were about to be towed after it had failed to present the DILG memo when the local officials demanded to see the document.

During the confrontation, the officials informed the MMDA towing team that the parked vehicles are permitted by a city ordinance to park along Annapolis street for a fee.

Ordinances to be revisited

San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez, on the other hand, said the city government is seriously considering revisiting old traffic and parking ordinances and resolution to ease traffic and accommodate the MMDA’s mabuhay lanes project.

She clarified that they fully support the project but their hands are tied because of Ordinance 40, passed in 1998, which declared certain streets in Barangay Greenhills as pay parking zones.

“The mabuhay lanes routes passing through certain streets in Barangay Greenhills have yet to be studied before we allow the MMDA’s clearing and towing,” Gomez said.

Under the mabuhay lanes setup, vehicles from Ortigas would pass through Annapolis and Connecticut streets and Club Filipino Avenue and exit towards EDSA. The scheme is expected to ease traffic along this part of EDSA, the MMDA said.

Progress

Since the clearing operations started Monday, the MMDA has cleared seven of 17 designated mabuhay lanes and impounded 119 vehicles.

Carlos said they will try to clear all of the alternate routes of obstructions and illegally parked vehicles before the start of the Christmas rush next month. 

He said while parking is not allowed along the mabuhay lanes no matter the hour, the MMDA will only clear the routes of illegally parked vehicles from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, Carlos urged business owners along the mabuhay lanes to find proper parking spaces for their customers.

“Streets are not parking lots. I would suggest they find other parking areas for their business,” he said. – With Non Alquitran