No respite for traffic enforcers

Traffic enforcers will work extra hours, especially on Friday when traffic is expected to reach its peak.

Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (IACT) chief traffic officer Manny Gonzales said 135 more traffic enforcers have been fielded on EDSA during the days leading to Christmas Day on Sunday.

“This to augment the 500 traffic personnel along Edsa. Their deployment is an early as 5 am,” Gonzales said.

A 36-composite team of traffic enforcers will be standing by to respond to emergency situations.

Many residents of Metro Manila are expected to head outside the metropolis for their holiday vacation on Friday, the last working day before Christmas.

Since last week, traffic flow has been heavy in areas around bus terminals and on roads leading to the airport.

More people will be doing their lastminute shopping and hosting parties and get-togethers on Friday, the last working day before Christmas.

The seven major choke points along EDSA are Balintawak Market Road, Aurora Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe, Ayala Avenue and Taft Avenue.

Shopping malls and other commercial establishments along the busy highway are also perennial traffic generators during the Christmas holiday.

The Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or number coding scheme for private vehicles will not be enforced on the 23rd, the 26th, a special non-working holiday, the 29th and 30th, Rizal Day.

I-ACT recently limited the use of provincial buses on stretches of EDSA, particularly from Timog Avenue to P. Tuazon Blvd., from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. to improve traffic flow in the area where provincial bus terminals are located.