MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) warned it would crack down on motorists who violate traffic rules, especially those using the EDSA Bus Carousel.
The agency wrote letters appealing to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to impose sanctions on two motorists in particular.
One was a taxi driver who used the EDSA Bus Carousel and blocked the flow of city buses when 19 inches of floodwater affected a portion of EDSA northbound lanes near Gate 3 of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City last Sept. 23.
Garbage – including an entire panel of plywood – that clogged the drainage system in the area caused the flood, which stopped the flow of traffic on EDSA for around two hours.
The unnamed taxi driver should be punished for “irresponsible” behavior aside from disregarding traffic signs and obstruction, acting MMDA Chairman Romando Artes wrote in his letter.
“Said irresponsible act not only aggravated the traffic congestion brought about by the flooding in the area due to heavy rain, it also burdened commuters by adding a considerable amount of time to their travel,” he said.
Artes also asked the LTO and LTFRB to penalize a motorist who almost hit an MMDA traffic enforcer and tried to escape when he was caught using the EDSA Bus Carousel lane last Sept. 21.
“The driver of the subject vehicle is a menace on the road, having no regard for the safety of the fellow motorists, including persons on the road such as traffic personnel,” he said, adding that the motorist should be punished for reckless driving.
The MMDA has repeatedly warned motorists that no private vehicles should use the EDSA Bus Carousel lane, the innermost lanes of EDSA reserved for city buses and emergency vehicles.