The clearing operation, led by POSU chief Teddy Lorca Jr., was conducted early Monday morning.
Pedestrians, surprised by the cleared sidewalks, praised the POSU men for the long-awaited response to their complaints against the vendors whose stalls, tables and pushcarts had taken up much of the sidewalks, impeding pedestrian traffic flow, particularly under the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) station.
Lorca said he had ordered the deployment of POSU men at the station and other areas where the clearing operations were also conducted to prevent the vendors from coming back to their chosen street corners. "We will see to it that they will not come back to their former spots," Lorca vowed.
Lorca said the vendors were not arrested but only told to go away. If they will come back to the sidewalks, Lorca said, the vendors were told that they would be arrested and fined.
Operations were also conducted along Hernandez street near the San Juan de Dios Hospital, in front of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and some areas along Taft Avenue. – Rainier Allan Ronda