MMDA continues campaign vs erring drivers

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) vowed yesterday to intensify the campaign against erring bus drivers who violate loading and unloading rules along EDSA and other major thoroughfares that cause traffic jams,.... despite warnings from critics that the agency may be accused of violating human rights.

“What we are doing is we are instilling discipline among unruly drivers. There are no human rights violations in that,” said MMDA Traffic Enforcement Group (TEG) chief Bobby Esquivel, in reaction to renewed criticisms against the Oplan Agaw Manibela campaign.

He explained that MMDA traffic enforcers asked passengers to alight from a passenger bus whose driver was apprehended for violating traffic rules. The traffic enforcers later assist the commuters to transfer to another bus after their fares have been refunded.

Traffic enforcers will later take control of the bus and impound the vehicle.

MMDA rules allow the passenger buses to stay for a maximum of 30 seconds in bus stops in order to give the next bus an equal opportunity to load and unload passengers.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said Oplan Agaw Manibela has led to the impounding of 40 bus units since the campaign was started last week.

“We do not leave the affected passengers until their fares were refunded by the driver and conductor,” said Esquivel, who is also head of the MMDA Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group.

He said the passengers who usually complain are those riding the bus whose driver is being apprehended and whose bus is impounded.

“But those riding the next bus or the bus behind eventually laud traffic enforcers knowing that it is the erring driver who is to blame,” he said adding that the MMDA’s Oplan Agaw Manibela will continue until the erring drivers are reformed.

Esquivel said the MMDA is actually advocating equal rights since the commuters whose trips are delayed by erring bus drivers that overstay in bus stops, also have rights.

He said the complaint of rights violations is similar to the complaints of illegal vendors that claim that their rights are being violated whenever they are cleared from sidewalks but the vendors do not consider that they are also violating the rights of pedestrians to use the sidewalk. 

“What about the human rights of others?” asked Esquivel who claimed that the MMDA’s Oplan Agaw Manibela is working effectively to discipline the erring bus drivers.