DOTr Orders I-ACT to Beef Up Anti-Illegal Parking Operations

To further bolster its bid to ease traffic conditions, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) to further intensify its anti-illegal parking operations.

In a statement, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade instructed Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Thomas Orbos to boost his department's efforts in clearing major thoroughfares as well as sidewalks of any obstructions--including illegally-parked vehicles and structures.

The I-ACT is headed by Orbos who also leads the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

During the recent All Saints' Day/All Souls' Days break, I-ACT's Task Force (TF) Alamid cleared several roads and sidewalks in Pasay City and the Baclaran area of illegally-parked vehicles for obstructing the movement of pedestrians and motorists.

From September 7-29, the I-ACT composite team apprehended a total of 465 traffic violators and impounded 166 illegally-parked and colorum vehicles along Commonwealth Avenue, Marcos Highway, P. Tuazon Avenue, and within Pasay City.

Meanwhile, TF Alamid arrested a total of 394 traffic violators and impounded 37 illegally parked and colorum vehicles from October 19 to November 3 along roads in Paranaque, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Caloocan, Quezon City, and Pasig.

Personnel from DOTr's Office of Commuter Affairs were also fielded to further beef up the force multipliers tasked to assist TF Alamid in its clearing operations in the metropolis.

For his part, Orbos also expressed optimism that I-ACT would achieve its objectives of improving the traffic situation with the cooperation of all the stakeholders, not just in Metro Manila, but also in the adjacent provinces of Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite and Laguna. 

Aside from the DOTr, other members of the I-ACT include the MMDA, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group.

I-ACT has new member-agencies, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the local government units through the Metro Manila Council (MMC), and the Liga ng mga Barangay ng Pilipinas. MMC is the policy-making body of the MMDA.