Klarex: Sidewalk vendors must respect traffic laws

WHILE saying that his administration will give every leeway for them to earn a living, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy reminded sidewalk vendors to abide by the law and not aggravate the city’s traffic congestion.

“I want to understand our sidewalk vendors who are severely affected by the pandemic. That’s why I allowed them to sell (at) certain hours of the day but I ask them to follow traffic laws. I will give them every opportunity (to learn to adjust and follow the traffic laws) but I won’t hesitate to enforce the law when needed,” Mayor Klarex said during his 100 days report to the City Hall bureaucracy, and local and national government officials on Monday.

Mayor Uy said this while emphasizing his administration’s agenda to rejuvenate the city’s economy which was impacted heavily by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Amid the closure of several businesses and displacement of employees in the city, Uy said several families already languished in poverty long before the pandemic started two years ago.

“That’s why as we try to recover from the pandemic, let us be understanding of our less fortunate neighbors who are trying their best to earn a living,” Uy said in reference to the sidewalk vendors, most of whom do business in the city’s public markets in Cogon and Carmen.

For now, sidewalk vendors are allowed to operate starting at 6 pm to 5 am the following day.

The mayor said he asked the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) to find ways to ensure the smooth traffic flow on the city’s main streets even during rush hours.

“I also asked the RTA to intensify their efforts at traffic education of motorists and public utility vehicle drivers so they won’t contribute to aggravating the city’s traffic congestion,” Uy said.

After creating a special operations group tasked to oversee traffic flow, Uy said there had been some improvement in the city’s traffic situation but admitted that much more needs to be done.

“By improving our traffic, not only do we reduce the inconvenience of the riding public, but we make sure they arrive safely at home, in their schools, and in the workplace,” Uy said in Visayan. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)