Keep off Manila’s traffic schemes since it doesn’t pry into Quezon City’s controversial garbage fee.
This was how Manila Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso lashed back Wednesday at Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, after the latter said Manila’s upcoming truck ban could not be good for business and other cities in the capital, being a product of “parochial” thinking.
“Mayor Bautista should just stick to the problems of Quezon City and not interfere in the policies and programs of the City of Manila, in the same way that we are not questioning QC’s decision to charge exorbitant garbage fees to its residents,” Domagoso said in a statement.
He was referring to the new revenue source which Quezon City started collecting from households this year before it was recently blocked by a temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court.
“I respect the sentiments of the Quezon City mayor. But parochial as it may seem, we are only after the welfare of the millions of Manileños who have suffered for years because of the tremendous traffic congestion that these trucks bring,” Domagoso said.
He said Bautista should “stop lawyering” for truck and bus operators and should instead take the side of the people who elected both of them to office.
“If they want, let’s transfer the pier to Quezon City so they will experience it,” Domagoso said. “If he cannot solve the traffic problem on Edsa or Quezon Avenue, give us the authority and we will give it a try.”
The vice mayor maintained that the Manila city council had studied the measure thoroughly. He acknowledged in a previous statement, however, that it was strongly opposed by businessmen in the trucking, brokerage and export-import sectors.
Set to be implemented on Feb. 24, the new ban extends the existing road-use restriction in Manila by seven hours. It bars eight-wheel trucks and vehicles with gross weight of 4,500 kilograms and above from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., except on Sundays and holidays.
Bautista, who heads the traffic committee of the policymaking body of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, aired his disapproval of the ban in a media interview Tuesday after a meeting called by the MMDA to discuss the ban. Domagoso was expected in the meeting but did not attend.