Sidewalk clearing crews to operate 24/7

MANILA, Philippines – After ordering Metropolitan Manila Development Authority traffic enforcers to stay on duty from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino now wants personnel of the agency’s Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group (SCOG) to do the same.

Jose Ramon Remollo, supervising consultant of the MMDA-SCOG, said the nighttime deployment will start Friday. The MMDA is currently identifying areas where sidewalk clearing crews will be deployed for night duty.

Remollo said the MMDA is also conducting a headcount and re-orientation of the personnel assigned to sidewalk clearing preparatory to the new assignment.

The SCOG has about 670 personnel and another 50 detailed to other MMDA units. The SCOG is the “strike arm” of the MMDA against illegal sidewalk vendors.

Tolentino earlier said that unlike his predecessor, Bayani Fernando, he will deal with illegal sidewalk vendors in a “civil” and “humane” manner. He assured illegal sidewalk vendors that they will not be physically harassed and that their goods will be properly confiscated and will not be thrown on the streets.

Last Monday, the MMDA started the deployment of 60 traffic enforcers for nighttime duty from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. to ensure faster response to traffic accidents and boost the agency’s drive against illegal and out-of-line public utility vehicles even at night.

The MMDA’s 2,000 traffic enforcers used to work in two shifts, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.