MMDA issues moratorium on road diggings

Expecting heavy traffic and increased vehicle volume during the Christmas season, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando has ordered for the implementation of a moratorium on road diggings in the metropolis for a month.

He issued the directive in an effort to ensure that there will be complete access to main thoroughfares, major roads, and even secondary streets in the next three to four weeks.

Fernando said road excavations are being temporarily suspended from Dec. 12 to Jan. 7,  especially those being carried out by utility firms.

He said diggings and excavations intend to cause traffic snarls on major and secondary roads especially with the expected increase in the volume of vehicles and pedestrians during the Christmas rush.

During an inspection last year, Fernando assailed the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for carrying out excavation works at the intersection of EDSA and Cabrera street in Pasay City without securing permits from the MMDA and the local government unit (LGU) concerned. He noted that aside from utility firms, no government agency can legally conduct road diggings without securing the necessary clearances from the agency and city governments with jurisdiction over the location.

Fernando expects utility companies to comply with the moratorium noting that the MMDA will not hesitate to enforce the full force of the law against those who will violate the order.

Fernando said violators will be fined and penalized under Section 3 of MMDA Regulation No.98-009 which imposes fines of at  least P1,000 and not more than P20,000 or imprisonment of at least 30 days but not more than six months or both for violators.

He, however added that not all government infrastructure projects are covered by the order since some projects are classified as urgent in nature and are granted exemptions.

During the Christmas season, people are expected to flock to department stores, shopping malls, restaurants, entertainment centers, and carnivals, thereby increasing vehicle volume in Metro Manila roads.