Dancing traffic enforcers: New tack in solving traffic mess

DAGUPAN CITY – If Cebu City has its now famous dancing inmates, this city also launched Monday night its dancing traffic enforcers, to give cheers to motorists stranded in traffic jam, this holiday season and enjoy their stay here.

Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) traffic enforcers Cas­sius Clay Alcaide, Vladi­mir Juliano and Gerard Villa­mil, all in their 30s and 40s, wowed Dagupeños and visitors alike with their rhythm, grace and choreography simultaneous with their traffic management skills as they dance their way in untangling traffic jam  in three heavily congested traffic areas here.

POSO chief Robert Erfe-Mejia told The STAR that each of these three men, who passed the audition composed of  about 50 field enforcers, including two wo­men, will display their dancing skills with music accompaniment right in the middle of road intersections, a full dance at that of about 15 minutes each, through the sound of modern dance and ballroom dancing.

They also do the popular “papaya” dance, he said laughing.

“It’s really a sight to behold and judging from people’s reactions, they were indeed entertained,” he added.

A project of Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. and his son, city administrator Alvin Fernandez, these dancing traffic enforcers, combine hand movements, body language and foot work as they perform their job.

“People were clapping their hands, motorists brought out their cellular phones and took some pictures of them while many were also dancing,” Mejia said.

They will be stationed in three alternate routes along the traffic intersection in A.B. Fernandez Avenue-M.H. del Pilar and Arellano street from 7 to 8:30 a.m., then along the intersection in Rizal street-Perez Boulevard and Rizal Extension from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. along the Welcome Rotonda in Mayom­bo-M.H. del Pilar-Perez Boulevard.

These are the areas where there is heavy flow of traffic at certain periods.

If this clicks, Mejia said they will add more dancing en­forcers in other strategic places.

“They can really dance. It’s not embarrassing that they will be featured,” Mejia proudly said of his men. But he advised them “not to be immersed in their dancing and instead focus in controlling traffic.”

All three stay in their station, clad in their orange uniform, one on top of the traffic boxstat painted yellow and black which has an audio system inside while the other two act as backup dancers several steps away.

Lorna Valdez, who is from Binmaley town and saw the dancing traffic enforcers said she enjoyed watching them and she felt relieved of the stress brought by heavy traffic during the holiday season in the city.

The city is also celebrating its fiesta this Christmas, thus doubling traffic jam. This place is the core of business and academic centers in Pangasinan.