MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has reshuffled its officials to improve the flow of traffic, an official said yesterday.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes made the move to prepare for the anticipated increase in the volume of vehicles on the road two weeks after the metropolis was placed under Alert Level 1.
In a statement, Artes said he appointed former EDSA traffic czar Edison Nebrija as head of the new Task Force Special Operations and Anti-Colorum Unit.
Nebrija’s replacement is Jeffrey Torres, who was appointed as the new chief of the EDSA Special Traffic and Transport Zone.
D’Arthony John Maquinto was named head of the Northern Traffic Enforcement District.
“We trust the capability of Nebrija to enforce traffic rules and regulations beyond the stretch of EDSA and clear mabuhay lanes and other major thoroughfares of traffic obstructions,” Artes said.
Nebrija, in the statement, said he would focus on providing alternate routes to motorists.
“We will intensify our clearing operations so that motorists will have alternate routes aside from EDSA. We are thankful that the management is supportive of our programs to ease traffic in Metro Manila,” Nebrija said.
Artes said Torres was given marching orders to speed up traffic flow along EDSA.
“We will maximize the visibility of the traffic enforcers assigned to EDSA,” Torres said.
Last Saturday, Artes said he did not yet see the need to expand number coding in the region since there were fewer vehicles that traversed EDSA in the first few days under Alert Level 1 compared to Alert Level 2.