QC government clears overpasses of vendors

The Quezon City government has started the clean-up drive of pedestrian overpasses, which for a long time now, have been occupied by ambulant vendors and illegal structures.

City Mayor Feliciano ‘Sonny’ Belmonte Jr. has directed the Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) to clear the obstructions on the overpasses, which have also become notorious for petty crimes.

The rehabilitation of the city’s overpasses include the installation of adequate lighting facilities, re-painting, and floor tiling for the convenience of pedestrians.

First to be cleaned up is the Commonwealth-Philcoa overpass, where increasing cases of pickpocketing, cellphone snatching, and holdup have been reported.

Aside from the clean-up operations, Belmonte has also ordered DPOS chief Manuel Sabalza to deploy security and intelligence officers on a 24-hour basis to ensure that cleanliness and orderliness in the Commonwealth-Philcoa overpass are maintained.

A similar clean-up operation will be conducted next week at the Commonwealth-Luzon Avenue pedestrian overpass. Pedestrian overpasses along EDSA are likewise included in the clearing operations.

Vendors who used to occupy the Commonwealth-Philcoa overpass have been relocated to the nearby University of the Philippines market.

In a statement, Sablaza said there was no major resistance from the vendors during the clearing operation as they had been notified of the mayor’s directive as early as December last year.

Sablaza added that the city government, represented by DPOS officials, the hawker’s division, and the market administration department, continually held dialogues with vendors’ associations to facilitate the ‘peaceful’ clearing of the Philcoa overpass. – Nikko Dizon