LTO orders enforcer deployment to SMC expressways amid strike
(FILE) Traffic flows moderately despite the heavy volume of vehicles on Monday, 13 May. Traffic congestion at tollways, particularly at the Skyway and Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway, is attributed to cash payments and insufficient balances in RFID accounts, affecting 15 percent of transactions from 1 to 7 May.
Photograph by Yummie Dingding for the daily tribune @tribunephl_yumi
Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, ordered on Sunday, 6 April, the deployment of the agency’s enforcers in San Miguel Corporation-operated expressways in Luzon.
Mendoza explained that the deployment of LTO enforcers was aimed at ensuring order and motorists’ safety along the expressways amid the ongoing protest actions of South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) deputized enforcers, apparently over a labor dispute, under the guidance of DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon.
“Our goal is to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and the safety of all motorists travelling along the affected expressways,” Mendoza said.
Citing the initial results of the investigation, the SLEX deputized enforcers’ protest action prompted the SMC management to pull out its enforcers from other expressways and deploy them along SLEX.
Mendoza said there is a need for LTO intervention on the enforcement aspect since what is at stake is the safety of all motorists travelling along the affected areas.
As part of this measure, he said he already tasked the LTO Regional Directors of Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and National Capital Region to mobilize enforcement teams for deployment.
Based on the order, LTO Region 1 and Region 3 enforcers will be deployed along Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX), while NCR enforcement teams will augment the deputized enforcers along Skyway.
The LTO-CALABARZON was tasked to assist along SLEX and other SMC-operated expressways in the southern Tagalog area.
On the other hand, Mendoza said enforcement teams from the LTO Central Office will be deployed along expressways that need additional manpower.
Mendoza, however, was bothered that the protesting enforcers are allegedly blocking some portions of the expressways.
“While we fully respect their right to air their grievances, hindi naman siguro maganda na haharangan natin ang ilang portion ng expressways lanes dahil bukod sa makaka-abala ito ay malalagay din sa peligro ang buhay nila,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said he is hopeful that the issue would be settled in the soonest possible time, or before the scheduled exodus of people to take advantage of the Holy Week break.