THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority yesterday said it will fine two private contractors of a telecommunications company for failing to complete their work on Epifanio delos Santos Avenue as agreed yesterday morning.
The delay, according to MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes, caused traffic problems on some portions of EDSA yesterday as the public returned to work after the Holy Week break.
Artes said Globe Telecom’s private contractors — HGC Global Communications and RLink Corporation — which are working on the underground installation of fiber optic cable along the southbound portion of EDSA, failed to comply with the agency’s condition that road works should have been finished, cleared, and passable to all motorists by 5 a.m. of April 1.
To recall, the MMDA allowed government and private construction projects to conduct round-the-clock road diggings and repairs from 11 p.m. of Wednesday, March 27, until 5 a.m. yesterday.
“Out of 40 manholes, 24 were left uncovered. No traffic marshals were seen on the road to at least man the traffic. As a result, the public mistakenly thought that those were MMDA and DPWH projects because they used the traffic cones and barriers of the agency,” Artes explained in a press briefing.
He said the two private contractors explained they had a problem with logistics and that the delivery of cement was delayed but Artes said their explanation was “unacceptable and unjustifiable.”
“We will issue a notice of violation against them due to the traffic build-up earlier today brought about by their failure to finish on time. They had a lot of totally unacceptable explanations,” the MMDA chief said, adding the two contractors will be slapped with a P50,000 fine per digging per day.
“The MMDA is also studying the possibility of banning the two private contractors of Globe Telecom from applying for excavation permits,” Artes added.
Artes also commended the DPWH for finishing its road works on time during the Holy Week.
“I would like to commend DPWH for the completion of road works on major thoroughfares. This is beneficial to the commuting public,” he added.
