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Thursday, March 28, 2024

MMDA chief takes on myriad traffic woes

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Stressing that the myriad problems in Metro Manila  require everyone’s support and cooperation, Metro Manila Development Authority chairman and general manager Tim Orbos appealed to various civil clubs and the public to do their part anchored on the “shared burden, shared responsibility principle.” 

Addressing the officers of the Regional Ambassadors Club at the Makati Sports Club over the weekend, Orbos urged the public to embrace a culture of “attitudinal and mindset change” in dealing with traffic, garbage, flooding, illegal parking and vending even as he assured that tactical and strategic plans and solutions are being done to address these problems.

This  was  what Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade meant all along that we need to change our mindset in dealing with the traffic problem, Orbos said.

“We cannot do it alone in government and for the metropolis which has 12.5-million residents and a high of 15-million people during daytime with about 2.3-million vehicles traversing the streets especially Edsa and 30,000 new added every month, we simply needs everyone’s support and understanding,” said Orbos.

Since traffic is everybody’s problem that affects everyone, he encouraged all sectors to be part of the solution and every little input and contribution such as observing traffic and parking rules will go a long way in easing the burden of majority.

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Among the suggestions of Orbos when it comes to “attitudinal change” include planning travel trips ahead by hitting the road two hours ahead, carpooling, less use of hazard lights 

while parking that normally cause traffic, reporting choke points and proper and disciplined driving. 

In driving his point to add solution to the traffic problem, Orbos even cited Senator Grace Poe about her proposal to declare an early vacation for all students in December as among the temporary solutions at the recent Senate hearing for the grant of emergency powers to President Duterte to address the traffic problem in the metropolis.

“When December comes, I encourage everyone to plan ahead their Christmas parties and we have ongoing talks with mall owners to help in declogging traffic in their respective areas as this will also affect their customers and their sales,” Orbos said. 

Citing findings of experts from Singapore who were in Manila recently, Orbos said the Singaporeans noted that it would take a longer time to fix the system to eliminate traffic.

On traffic enforcement, Orbos said that on any given day, there are about 2,300 MMDA traffic enforcers augmented by at least 800 HPG men from all over the country and only a handful 40 Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board keeping an eye on 12,000 buses mostly colorum driven by undisciplined drivers. 

He assured the public that the 100-day old administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and DOTr Secretary Tugade together with MMDA, the Metro Manila Council and the PNP’s Highway Patrol Group are doing the following measures to address the traffic problem namely:

Moving out of all bus terminals along EDSA those northbound and southbound that will remove 10,000 buses; Unified and synchronized traffic enforcement systems in the metropolic to include fines, traffic lights and enforcements; and,

Implementation of the Left side bus lane.

Orbos said there are other good news coming from the transport sector under the Duterte administration with the additional construction of airport runway, opening of the NAIA Expressway Phase II project, as well as soon to  be completed Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 and the LET Line 2 East Extension project. 

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