THE government has resumed its campaign against illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions on Mabuhay Lanes, formerly known as Christmas Lanes, which were designated as alternate routes for private motorists avoiding the congested Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
The latest operation as of 4 p.m. on Friday resulted in the apprehension and towing of 45 illegally parked cars, motorcycles and public utility vehicles in the areas of Quinta Market in Quiapo, Laon Laan and Maria Clara Street, all in Manila, and Molave and Anonas Streets in Quezon City.
The move came a day after members of the Metro Manila Council rejected the implementation of the three-digit number coding scheme and suggested that the Metro Manila Development Authority and other members of the Inter-agency Council on Traffic should instead intensify the Mabuhay Lanes operations.
This developed as MMDA acting chairman Thomas Orbos warned barangay officials will face administrative sanctions if they will not cooperate with the government in the campaign.
“The Department of the Interior and Local Government will come up with guidelines on how the barangay officials will participate in the campaign. They [barangays] will be obliged to cooperate,” he said.
The MMDA is complaining that the lack of cooperation from barangay officials hampers the government’s campaign against illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions on Mabuhay Lanes.
The clearing operation is also in close coordination with Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group and Department of Transportation.
Orbos said his agency is also encouraging the people to cooperate and report illegally parked vehicles and other obstruction on major roads through its website Netizens Watch.
The MMDA launched the social media reporting system in a bid to muster the public and private sectors in reporting to the agency all traffic obstructions on all roads in Metro Manila, especially the 17 Mabuhay Lanes.
Based on the regulations, the Mabuhay Lanes should be cleared of any kinds of obstructions 24 hours a day.
The 17 Mabuhay Lanes are alternative routes to the 23.8-kilometer Edsa. These cover the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City. It also include secondary roads going to shopping destinations in Metro Manila such as Baclaran in Parañaque, Greenhills in San Juan, Divisoria, and Carriedo in Manila.
Records showed that traffic volume rises 15 to 20 percent between November and December.