At least 14 persons were hurt following a collision involving three vehicles along the southbound lane of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in the area of Magallanes in Makati City Tuesday morning.
The incident, at 6:11 am, also caused the slow movement of vehicles going to Pasay City and Alabang in Muntinlupa City from Edsa-GMA Kamuning area for more than two hours, according to the Metro Manila Development Authority.
Those injured—mostly bus passengers— sustained head and body injuries.
Five of them were rushed to the Pasay General Hospital while four others were brought to the Ospital ng Makati.
“Other passengers sustained only minor injuries,” according to MMDA chief information officer Sharon Gentalian, citing initial reports from the agency’s Metrobase.
The vehicles involved were Alabang-bound Valenzuela Transport Service Coop. passenger bus (with registration number 130110639), Baclaran-bound Joyselle Express Inc. (TXD 328), also a passenger bus; and a Mitsubishi Mirage private car (ACM 4149).
MMDA Metrobase initial investigation showed that Joyselle Bus, while traveling along the southbound lane of Edsa in Magallanes, lost its brakes, hitting the two other vehicles in front.
It also showed that Joyselle bus “was approaching the loading bay fast, possibly running 50 to 60 kilometers per hour, when it hit both vehicles.
Just recently, the MMDA conducted a forum on road safety to stop the increasing number of road accident in the metropolis.
The agency urged motorists to observe discipline and courtesy while driving to prevent road accidents.
In April, the MMDA reported that 434 persons were killed while 19,374 others got injured due to road accident in 2017.
Based on the 2017 data collated by the MMDA through its Metro Manila Accident Recording and Analysis System program, reckless motorcycle riding topped the list of causes of deaths and injuries on Metro Manila streets.
It stated that motorcycles had caused 247 deaths, followed by trucks (118) and private cars (97).
The records also said 24,058 motorcycles were involved in the road accidents last year.
MMRAS is a program created by the MMDA aimed at improving road management in the metropolis.
Government records showed most road accidents happen because of undisciplined motorists, drunk driving and the use of mobile phones while driving.
Most of these incidents involved reckless motorcycle riding men.
Records also showed the number of motorcycles had steadily increased over the last four years in the Philippines.
The entry of cheap motorcycles in the country and the worsening traffic condition in Metro Manila are seen as the primary reasons in pushing the demand for motorcycles.
The MMDA has been coming up with solutions to solve the problem in road safety.
Among the measures are the installations of pedestrian facilities, signages and footbridges.
Sidewalk clearing operations were also intensified.
Senator Ralph Recto had urged the Department of Transportation to include in its budget the acquisition of medical ambulances and tow trucks to address vehicular accidents, which also contribute to the road gridlock.
Recto said aside from saving lives, emergency medical teams can reduce the time when traffic was stopped and a road was blocked by an accident.