To help decongest the streets of Christmas-rush traffic, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada will post 80 newly trained traffic enforcers of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau in the city’s high-density shopping districts, where holiday shoppers have reached an average of one million a day.
In a statement on Friday, Estrada said the new enforcers, fresh from a 15-day extensive training course, will back up members of the Manila Police District-Traffic Enforcement Units and maintain peace and order in Manila’s major roads during the holidays.
“It’s a common thought that during Christmas traffic is heavy, and there are several people on the streets. We are expecting this, so we must counter this with the police and traffic enforcers who will secure and control the traffic,” Estrada said.
The mayor said the enforces are expected to see action after the completion of their training on Friday, December 23, and will be deployed to Divisoria, Binondo, and Quiapo districts.
Estrada ordered their training on November 28 after he terminated the work contracts of 690 incumbent MTPB personnel owing to numerous complaints of extortion and other illegal activities against them.
The former president has been keeping close tabs on the retraining of the first batch of 92 trainees who will fill the vacated slots at the MTPB. Only eight of the enforcers are new recruits.
The Manila Police District is retraining these enforcers and have focused on developing discipline, proper decorum and posture, and physical fitness. The trainees also have classroom lectures about basic road accident investigation, rescue and first aid, and basic self defense techniques.
Only 200 more will be rehired from the original 690 personnel who were fired, MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza said.
“We will not get that many enforcers, only 300 at most as long as they are good and with augmentation from the police, it’s okay,” said Estrada.
He also has warned he will impose a “one-strike” policy on any MTPB personnel who will again be involved in any illegal activity, while raising the basic pay of the enforcers from P6,000 to P10,000 a month.