By GENALYN D. KABILING
The government is set to embark on a major crackdown on illegally parked vehicles in Metro Manila and other regional centers to ease traffic conditions.
President Duterte has ordered concerned government agencies to clear major roads of illegally parked vehicles and impose penalties on road violators.
The President issued the order to complement the government’s P9-trillion infrastructure development program to improve country’s transportation network in the next five years.
“All of these strategic road and transport projects shall go to naught if we cannot free our streets, which continue to be obstructed by illegally parked vehicles, ‘yang EDSA na ‘yan traffic obstructionists or undisciplined drivers who stop in the middle of the road, and unsanctioned barriers in some areas,” Duterte said in his State of the Nation Address last Monday.
“I am directing the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) and the LGUs (local government units) of Metro Manila, as well as the LGUs of Metro Cebu and of all our regional centers, to ensure the free flow of traffic,” he said.
He said these government units must “immediately clear our roads and thoroughfares of all unnecessary obstruction, including vehicles parked on the streets and barriers (not) sanctioned by the government, and penalize all traffic obstructionists regardless of stature.”
Duterte said when he assumed office, traffic along EDSA was already “horrendous as it was a horror of the other administrations.
Duterte recalled that he tried to get Congress help to raise money for transport projects but was rebuffed. Instead, he sought the help of China who offered to build two bridges “free of charge” to ease the traffic conditions in Metro Manila.
Meantime, the President said the government is aiming to usher in the “golden age of infrastructure” in the country amid the plans to build more airports, roads, bridges, and ports in the next five years.
He said the government would spend P8 trillion to P9 trillion for infrastructure development, or 5 percent of gross domestic product in 2017 to 7 percent of GDP by 2022.