IN A move to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety, authorities conducted a demolition operation on Saturday, June 1, targeting stalls built on roads surrounding the Bankerohan Public Market.
Dionisio Abude, head of the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), explained, “The government’s primary concern is ensuring clear and unobstructed roads. Vendors occupying these areas pose a safety hazard to motorists and pedestrians.”
Abude assured that the city offered vendors designated spaces on the second floor of the public market’s fish section to sell their goods freely.
In an interview with the media on Friday, Mayor Sebastian Duterte talked about the situation of the evicted ambulant vendors.
According to the mayor, the local government is looking for a way to balance the livelihood of those inside and outside the market.
The demolition follows a clearing operation led by Abude last Friday in preparation for a new traffic scheme implemented on June 1. The CTTMO collaborated with the City Economic Enterprise and Ancillary Services Unit to streamline the movement of market patrons, public utility vehicles, and private cars within the Bankerohan area.
The plan includes an operational strategy for the 11 PUJ routes traversing Bankerohan: Buhangin via J.P Laurel Ave., Route 2, Route 5, Route 6, Route 7, Route 9, Route 10, Route 10-A, Route 10-B, Langub, and Magtuod.
Abude emphasized the relocation process is a priority. “A total of 406 relocation slots are available within Bankerohan,” he said.
“These designated areas include the Bankerohan Farmers Market Center, BFMC annex, Fruitasan Mo, Mallengke, Rasay Pavillion and Parking Larayan, MFish, Micro, Cloverleaf, Esmar Posadas Realty Corporation, and the second-floor market building,” he added.
The new traffic scheme also aims to enforce the 1/3, 2/3 policy, allocating a third of sidewalk space for vendors and ensuring two-thirds remain clear for pedestrian use.
