By Chloe Mari A. Hufana
THE METRO Manila Council (MMC) on Tuesday passed a resolution urging local government units (LGUs) to get rid of dangling cables on major roads in the National Capital Region (NCR) to prevent accidents.
San Juan City Mayor and MMC President Francisco “Francis” M. Zamora said heavy cables installed by telecommunication companies have accumulated over the years, causing the poles of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to fall.
“Most of these wires are useless, no longer functional and can be removed,” he told a virtual news briefing in Filipino.
Local governments should coordinate with Meralco and telecommunication companies in removing these cables, he added.
MMDA Resolution No. 24-16, which seeks to prevent accidents and fires, cited an accident in Binondo, Manila last year when a power pole collapsed.
At the same briefing, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting Chairman Romando S. Artes said contractors choose not to remove nonworking wires to avoid disrupting electricity and other services.
The public should be informed about wire-cleaning initiatives, he added.
Quezon City Administrator Michael Victor “Mike” N. Alimurung told the MMC local governments should limit the number of cables per pole.
Telecommunication companies must first get a permit from LGUs before they can install these cables, Mr. Zamora said.
The MMDA is also studying placing poles underground, which could be expensive.
Meanwhile, the MMDA said it had not started apprehending unconsolidated jeepneys pending guidelines from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Mr. Artes said stopping jeepneys to check for compliance could worsen traffic jams and inconvenience commuters.
He added that enforcers do not know what to check to know if a jeepney has consolidated or not.
Officials of the Department of Transportation and LTFRB have yet to meet about the matter, he added.
LTFRB chief Teofilo E. Guadiz III last month said consolidated units must have papers displayed on their windshields to distinguish them from unconsolidated ones.
