MMDA clears illegally parked vehicles from Traslacion route

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started clearing the streets that will be part of the route of the procession of the Black Nazarene during this year's Traslacion.

According to a report by Steve Dailisan on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend," the MMDA towed 35 vehicles on Palanca Street in Manila on Sunday morning. Street vendors were also urged to move along.

In the report, MMDA spokesperson Celina Pialogo said that although the clearing operations were partly due to the Traslacion on Tuesday, the MMDA regularly conducts these operations to ease traffic.

"Hindi tayo puwedeng magsagawa rin ng magiging intense 'yung clearing natin kung kailan lang Traslacion," she said.

"Kahit naman talaga nung hindi pa papalapit ang Traslacion, nagki-clearing operations na tayo kasi kadalasan talaga ng mga dadaanan din ay Mabuhay lanes," she added.

In the same report, Pialogo said the MMDA will deploy as many as 1,300 employees during the Traslacion.

"Four hundred doon, naka-deploy para tulungan ang Manila Police District for crowd control sa Andas," she said.

The streets forming the route will be closed to traffic beginning midnight Tuesday, with the procession scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. Starting Monday, large trucks will also not be allowed on Roxas Boulevard. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News