MMDA personnel warned vs. breaking traffic laws

MANILA – Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chair Don Artes on Thursday warned the agency's personnel against breaking traffic laws after two former employees, including a traffic enforcer, were apprehended for illegally passing through the EDSA Busway.

All MMDA personnel, including high-ranking officials and director-level employees, are barred from using the busway.

"Hindi dapat pamarisan ang mga ganitong gawain na pagpapakilala na kawani ng MMDA para makalusot sa batas trapiko. Ang paglabag sa batas trapiko ay may kaakibat na multa (These actions should not be emulated, such as pretending to be from the MMDA to flout traffic laws. Breaking traffic laws comes with corresponding fines)," Artes said.

On Tuesday, the Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT) apprehended a driver who introduced himself as a member of the MMDA Traffic Discipline Office.

Artes said the driver has been identified as Henry Closa who left the agency on March 31.

On May 2, an MMDA enforcer was fired for driving his motorcycle through the EDSA Busway on April 30.

SAICT personnel identified the former MMDA enforcer as Dexter Rasonabe who was caught on camera tailgating a bus near the Santolan station of the EDSA Busway in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,525 unauthorized vehicles, mostly motorcycles, using the busway were apprehended from Jan. 1 to May 9 this year.

Among these were 595 motorcycles, 500 private or public vehicles, 20 government units/ambulances and 410 unauthorized buses or trucks. (PNA)