MMDA mulls hiring 400 traffic enforcers to ease traffic jams

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Hoping to ease the monstrous traffic jams once the government’s construction projects begin, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) plans to hire another 400 traffic enforcers this year.

MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino told reporters in an interview on Wednesday, that the agency would be accepting applications for 400 traffic enforcer posts especially in the last quarter of the year.

The new enforcers will be assigned to areas affected by the 15 construction works about to start this year.  The agency presently has 2,000 traffic enforcers spread out in the metropolis.

Acting as force multiplier, the enforcers, however would not be given the power to apprehend traffic violators and to issue citation tickets, Tolentino said.

Apart from the MMDA traffic constables, private contractors are required to deploy at least 50 flagmen to assist in the traffic flow.

The two construction projects—Skyway 3 project and the NAIA Expressway Phase 2—have begun this week.

Other projects set to begin in the next few months are the Gil Puyat-Makati-Avenue-Paseo de Roxas underpass; Sta. Monica-Lawton Avenue bridge; CP Garcia Avenue-McKinley Hill ramp; repair and asphalt overlay of Magallanes Interchange; EDSA-Taft Avenue flyover; MRT Line 3/ LRT Line 1 extension common station; LRT Line 2 East extension up to Masinag; LRT Line 1 Extension (Cavite); EDSA- Roosevelt Ave. interchange; España Avenue-Lacson Avenue interchange; repair and rehabilitation and improvement of South Superhighway Makati; the NLEX-SLEX connector road; and the EDSA-West Avenue-North Avenue interchange.

For one to be qualified as traffic enforcers, Tolentino said he or she must have reached second year in college.

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