Monday, June 02, 2008 Metro development agency all set in opening of classes
THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Sunday said it expects to encounter negligible problems as 3,000 of its field and office personnel are prepared to assist the police and local government units (LGU) in maintaining law and order at the start of school year 2008-2009 on June 10.
In his address to the MMDA troops at White Plains, Quezon City, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando cited the importance of their roles in the success of the agency's "Balik Eskwela, Ang Paghahanda" program where two million students and pupils are expected to return to school in the metropolis.
He exhorted them to maintain the high degree of excellence in the performance of their assigned tasks saying that public service is "something they can all be proud of".
The MMDA launched a troop formation program where Fernando walked through the line of field personnel composed of mostly of traffic enforcers, laborers, street sweepers, demolition crew and members of the emergency rescue teams.
Fernando said the field personnel will be dispatched in critical areas mostly roads and perennially congested areas leading to public schools, private schools, colleges and universities where traffic is expected to increase by 40 percent when students troop back to school.
Aside from the traffic directing duties, the MMDA will also prioritize the clearing of sidewalks and road rights-of-way and strict monitoring of canals, creeks and other major waterways to ensure the free flow of water.
"Our combined traffic enforcement and traffic engineering programs and projects including flood mitigating measures have been put in place the whole year round to ensure lesser traffic and flooding problems in Metro Manila," Fernando added.
He warned motorists to respect the law as he gave marching orders to the agency's traffic enforcers to immediately apprehend disobedient drivers breaking traffic rules and regulations to ensure public service.
In the case of illegal public utility vehicles (PUV), Fernando asked for public assistance to ensure that the agency can fully track down the erring drivers of passenger jeepneys, buses, taxis and FX.
The MMDA will concentrate on Ortigas Avenue in San Juan, Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, the University Belt in Manila and other traffic-prone and congested areas of Metro Manila.
Earlier, the MMDA proposed to the concerned school authorities and parents the adoption of the "drop-off point" scheme where the parents and authorized fetchers can fetch the pupils and students in key locations as a traffic congestion mitigating measure.
At the same time, Fernando said he has assigned at least 50 traffic enforcers on critical intersections along Katipunan Avenue where the University of the Philippines (UP), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), and Miriam College are situated.
Fernando reiterated that adapting the "drop off' scheme of the agency will decongest Katipunan Avenue saying that at least 15,000 vehicles are ferrying only 10,000 students in the three schools in Katipunan Avenue daily. (AH/Sunnex)
