City dads up early to man traffic at Redemptorist area

City councilors were up early yesterday to personally man traffic at the vicinity of the Redemptorist Church as the old traffic scheme in the area was restored.

Together with personnel from the City Traffic Operations Management and the city police, Vice Mayor Michael Rama led the city's legislators in manning the early traffic immediately after the 5:30 a.m. mass at the Redemptorist Church ended.

The councilors were stationed in key areas affected the re-routing came over a month ago including Queens Road, F. Manalo, Gotianuy, R. Aboitiz and Juana Osmeña Streets.

Aside from Rama, also present yesterday morning were councilors Joy Pesquera, Augustus Pe, Hilario Davide III, Eugenio Faelnar, Christopher Alix, Gabriel Leyson, Raul Alcoseba, Edwin Jagmoc, Jose Daluz and Glena Bontuyan.

But the early morning sun was not enough to make the atmosphere hot, as many motorists who may have already gotten accustomed to the one-way experimental traffic scheme complained why the traffic would have to be changed again.

Even a street cleaner and a traffic enforcer who are assigned in the area said the one-way scheme was better off than the original two-way scheme re-implemented yesterday.

Aside from the many frowns the restoration received from the motorists, Rama said one major problem is the "undisciplined" motorists that continue to park in areas around the Redemptorist Church that are supposed to be non-parking spaces. This, he said contributed to the congestion of traffic in the area.

Another problem encountered is the presence of illegal "dispatchers" in the Redemptorist Church parking lot who continue to accommodate vehicles despite the parking lot already being congested. Rama said they will seek a dialogue with the Redemptorist Church to ban the "dispatchers" from the area.

Although the original scheme was practically restored, a few modifications were implemented yesterday to make the traffic smoother. Vehicles entering the vicinity of the Redemptorist Church from Queens Road will have to turn right around the church's rotunda in a counter-clockwise manner in going to R. Aboitiz Street or towards Gotianuy Street existing to F. Manalo Street.

Also, motorists were no longer allowed to park around the church's rotunda. Likewise, vendors removed from the sidewalks of R. Aboitiz Street.