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MMDA implements Pink Line Project
The MMDA has started towing vehicles and clearing obstacles violating their "pink lines" in their latest effort to clear the sidewalks. The drivers who were caught parking illegally on the sidewalks complained that they were not adequately informed by the MMDA about the policy.

Now, if they were parallel parked on the sidewalk, then obviously that's illegal parking. But if they were in they were parked in a driveway that extended to the sidewalk, then that's kinda iffy. I mean, it would just be proper for the MMDA to give people time to "fix" their garages/driveways, since it was lack of proper enforcement of this particular law that led to this situation in the first place.

Anyway, here's a video from GMANews.TV that explains the pink line policy:

New LTO chief opens doors to public
Alberto Suansing, the new head of the LTO, has announced that the public is welcome to go to him directly for any LTO-related complaints.

Hopefully, he'll provide the public with an email address or an online forum that the public can use.

Read that the MMDA also considers the "encroachment of roads and easements by shops, itinerant vendors and slum dwellers" a major contributor to traffic build-up. They specifically mentioned those places that use the sidewalks and roads as parking slots for their establishments, even going as far as placing signages to prevent non-customers from parking there. MMDA's Executive Director Angelito Vergel de Dios stated that he will be urging the mayors to deny renewal of the business permits of these violators.

This seems like a good move, but it is highly unlikely that we will see any real response to this call, at least in the near future.

Anyway, read more about it here. Note that the article is mainly about the MMDA's RFID initiative for PUBs, so just go straight to the bottom.

Police car involved in accident
A jeepney crashed into the side of a police car at the corner of Aurora and Balete around 11:30am today. According to the jeepney driver, the police car allegedly beat the red light. Also, he claims that the blinker and siren were only turned on after the accident. Anyway, the traffic investigator said that the jeepney driver may be charged with "reckless imprudence resulting in multiple injuries and damage to government property."

I actually believe the jeepney driver's story. I've seen too many police vehicles, both cars and motorcycles, ignoring stoplights, no left turns, no u-turns, one ways, etc., for no particular reason aside from their own convenience.

Impounded taxis found to have tampered engine numbers
The LTO has reported that 14 out of 85 taxis currently impounded were found to have tampered engine and chassis numbers, leading them to believe that these were stolen.

For details on the plate, engine and chassis numbers of these taxis, check out the article. You never know, you might find your long, lost, stolen vehicle.

MMDA and Pasay fight over DFA parking
Pasay mayor Peewee Trinidad criticized the MMDA after 8 MMDA enforcers issued tickets to 42 vehicles belonging to officials, employees and visitors of the DFA parked on the service road of Roxas Blvd. According to the mayor, that area has long been used as a parking area by the DFA, and is supposedly covered by a city ordinance that provides free parking to DFA officials, employees and visitors. The Pasay Traffic and Parking Management Office wanted to file a case against the 8 enforcers but backed off after the enforcers took back the tickets they issued. MMDA chariman Bayani Fernando responded that if their enforcers were arrested, they would file their own charges.

In the first place, the DFA should develop their own parking area. Roxas Blvd. is one of the metro's major thoroughfares and experiences heavy traffic all the time. Isn't the public interest more important than the convenience of these officials?

Quiapo traffic rerouted due to Black Nazarene
With the Feast of the Black Nazarene being celebrated today, traffic in Quiapo has been rerouted. Check the article for details on the rerouting scheme.

MMDA's pink line parking scheme
The MMDA has begun pilot testing their new pink line parking scheme on EDSA. The line is supposed to clearly delineate where the road ends and the sidewalk begins, and is targeted to curb illegal parking on major roads.

Kaya dapat walang tatawid sa pink line. Ang muhuling tumawid, bading!

MMDA likes motorcycles
The MMDA is NOT in favor of banning motorcycles from major roads. However, this doesn't mean that they will be providing exclusive lanes for them.

Considering that the majority of their enforcers get around on bikes, it'll be really stupid of them to support the proposed bill to ban them. Dapat talaga, hulihin na lang nila ang dapat hulihin para mabawasan ang mga aksidente.

One percentage point reduction in oil tariff planned
A one percentage point reduction in oil tariff has been announced by GMA today, in an effort to cushion the impact rising world oil prices on the local economy. Also, she has asked the oil companies to use the savings from the tax cut to bring down prices of diesel, instead of applying it across the board to all fuel products.

Another article also mentioned that despite the tariff cut, pump prices are still expected to rise on January 15.

Considering that our pump prices are among the highest in the region, I'm pretty sure there are a lot of other things that they can do bring prices down.

This vulcanizing shop at Santolan has been conducting their repairs on the road for the longest time. No parking area pa naman 'eto.

Sabi na no parking! Can't you guys read?!?
Anyway, this was taken on Esperanza St., between Greenbelt 3 and New World Hotel.

Just look at these guys parking right in front of Asian Hospital, between the access roads to the emergency entrance and the main driveway.
Don't they know that they inconvenience vehicles going into and out of the access roads? And there are signs, for God's sake!

Saw this truck deliver his wares to the sidewalk shops along the EDSA-Pasong Tamo ground level intersection at around 6:06pm tonight.

Medyo makapal din 'to, 'no? And to think that several MMDA enforcers were just hanging around this area.

Here's another example of traffic enforcers' "hiding" style.
Again, these guys prefer catching violators after the fact instead of preventing it in the first place. Di ba, mali 'yon?

Anyway, a-anga-anga pa talaga 'tong pulis na 'to, at tinabihan pa yung No Parking sign!

Saw the beat up Paranaque police car again. This car was first seen last January 24, as recorded in this post.
They really ought to have this car repaired, otherwise, it won't do much good. Not only that, they should really teach the driver to follow traffic laws and not park in the no parking area.

Saw these cars parked on Domestic Road, right in front of the pay parking lot in front of the airport.
It was already a bit traffic cos of people coming and going home for Christmas, and these guys weren't helping any. And, hey, if they can afford these luxury cars, can't they spare 30 bucks for parking?

Despite the terrible traffic on Annapolis and Eisenhower, the San Juan local government still continues to enact their own version of parallel parking.
I suppose it's because they can accommodate more cars if they park diagonally. And more cars mean more money. I wonder who benefits from all this money? The local government? Hahaha!

Do I need to say more?

This series of pictures were taken at the Nagtahan ground-level intersection at around 4:45pm today.

Number 1: The light is red, he crosses the intersection, causing a bit of a bottleneck.
Number 2: He does this just so that he can park (see the 4th picture). And park he does, eating up a portion of the road. No doubt, this will add to the traffic there.
Number 3: The police car does not sport any license plate nor does it have the conduction sticker.

Please, MMDA, PNP and local governments, clean your ranks first!

Just look at these guys! One's parked on the road and the other on the sidewalk in front of La Salle Greenhills on Ortigas.
Right underneath the No Parking and Sidewalks are for People signs. Just goes to show how much respect these motorists have for the government.

Again, either catch these guys or take down the signs!

Again, no parking signs are ignored. This time, it's at N. Domingo in San Juan.
Again, if you won't enforce it, just take they d**n signs down!

A cop car parked right underneath a no parking sign. And right in front of Camp Aguinaldo.
And they expect everyone else to follow the law. Shame on you!

Here are a couple pics of illegally parked vehicles along Santolan. These were taken on Wednesday, October 5, at around 11:48am.
Kung wala rin man silang balak hulihin yang mga sasakyan na 'yan, tanggalin na lang nila yung mga No Parking signs.

By the way, if you take a look at the blue Civic in the first picture, the rear plate is conspicuously absent.

Here are a couple of pics taken this morning along Santolan Road.
Despite the fact that the street is full of no parking signs, all kinds of vehicles are parked along the road. And this is just right beside the PNP's headquarters. Just goes to show you what kind of respect the public has for the cops, and what kind of people we have to enforce our nation's laws.