The Interagency Traffic Council (i-ACT) of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) now has the “muscle” to crack down harder on “colorum” vehicles.
The Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) on Monday committed an additional 300 policemen and vehicles to the i-ACT, on top of the dozens of HPG personnel it assigned earlier to the council.
The deployment of more policemen came after the DOTr and PNP-HPG signed a memorandum of agreement on Monday to strengthen their partnership in solving Metro Manila’s traffic problem.
The over 300-strong PNP-HPG contingent makes it the agency with the biggest team on the council. At present, i-ACT has a staff of 150 coming from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
Despite this, Transport Undersecretary for Roads Mark de Leon said that the LTFRB and LTO would still spearhead the multi-agency council that was revived in 2017 to deal with urban congestion.
Needed manpower
While the PNP-HPG has always been part of the traffic council, it has provided the needed manpower to crack down on colorum vehicles, especially those owned by politicians and, sometimes, other policemen.
“Their muscle is really necessary to enforce traffic rules,” i-ACT deputy director Elmer Argaño said.
The MOA signed on Monday authorized the PNP-HPG to enforce traffic rules and regulations within Metro Manila and neighboring regions in support of i-ACT’s operations.
Newly sworn-in LTFRB board member Antonio Guardiola, former PNP-HPG chief, was the one who suggested tapping the police to help in traffic enforcement, said Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade.
Aside from its personnel, the PNP-HPG will be committing 24 mobile cars and 82 motorcycle units.
PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde said that the additional policemen would help in traffic management and the strict enforcement of traffic regulations, including the conduct of anticolorum and anti-illegal parking operations.
Apart from the PNP-HPG, the Philippine Coast Guard will also assign 25 personnel to aid the i-ACT, the DOTr said. —With a report from Jeannette I. Andrade