A total of 377 light trucks were apprehended by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday morning during the strict implementation of a traffic scheme banning them from Edsa and Shaw Boulevard at peak hours.
Their drivers who were issued citation tickets and fined P2,000 each were caught from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
More were expected to be apprehended during the afternoon rush hour from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
While most violators said that they did not know about the ban, the MMDA maintained that it had to penalize them especially since the agency had conducted a dry run of the scheme last week.
The three-month “trial” ban that will end on June 15 prohibits trucks with a gross capacity weight of 4,500 kilograms and below from using Edsa and Shaw Boulevard from Monday to Saturday during peak hours.
The ban is in effect from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the southbound lane of Edsa and on the northbound side between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. The same rules (specified lane and hours) also apply to Shaw Boulevard.
Currently, a total truck ban is being enforced by the MMDA on Edsa. By expanding the ban to cover light trucks, the MMDA is hoping to ease traffic.