The Bacolod City government has resumed demolishing illegal structures on sidewalks and roads, which are obstructing traffic.
Nineteen illegal structures on the North Capitol Road sidewalk across from Ayala Malls Capitol Central were removed on Monday, November 28, by an enforcement team of the Bacolod City Legal Office (CLO), which was assisted by the Negros Occidental provincial government Safety and Security Division personnel.
Some of the owners of the sidewalk eateries voluntarily removed their structures that were adjacent to provincial government owned property.
Rey Demisana, head of the CLO enforcement team, said the motorcycles and tricycles illegally parked on one lane of the North Capitol Road next to the sidewalk where the eateries were located were also removed from the area.
The eateries were traffic obstructions because they extended their businesses to the road, Renelo Lastierre, Capitol Safety and Security Division head, said.
Jolly Martinez, whose eatery was removed from the area, said they had been in the area for more than a year and were not given any written notice by the city government that their structures would be removed. They were only verbally informed about it, Martinez said.
She, however, admitted that they had no permit to operate on the sidewalk.
They already knew for some time that they would be removed from the area, Lastierre said.
Demisana said the clearing operations of illegal structures and vehicles at Lopez Jaena Street were also conducted.
The CLO also has enforcement teams at the city public markets to ensure that vendors do not obstruct roads, he said.
The city government’s removal of road obstructions is in compliance with a Department of the Interior and Local Government order, Demisana said.*