Vehicles passing through Epifanio delos Santos Avenue increased by 5.75 percent, or an average of 405,882, for the first eight months this year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reported on Friday.
MMDA Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago, in a report sent to the media, said this is an additional 22,054 vehicles as compared to 2018 data, which posted an average of 383,828 vehicles.
Starting September until December, the number of vehicles plying Edsa is expected to increase by 20 percent, or 487,058 vehicles, especially during the Christmas season, Pialago said.
To address the expected increase in traffic volume, she said the MMDA would continue its strict enforcement of existing policies and create new ones in consultation with the Metro Manila Council.
“Strict enforcement of existing policies until such time magkaroon ulit tayo ng pagkakataong makapag-present sa MMC ng (We’ll have strict enforcement of existing policies until such time we’ll have the chance to present to the MMC) new policies,” Pialago said.
The vehicular volume data was based on vehicular counts by MMDA personnel on an almost daily basis.
“Kapag nagpapa-vehicular count, halos everyday gagawin to make sure na tama ‘yung figures or at least mag-come up ng average (When vehicular counts are done, we do it almost everyday to make sure our figures are accurate or at least get an average),” Pialago said.
Of the average number of vehicles passing through Edsa in 2019, 110,167 were motorcycles, 255,732 were cars, and 2,166 were public utility buses.
Meanwhile, a lawmaker at the House of Representatives welcomed Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade’s green light for the detailed planning of the proposed synchronized bus dispatch system on Edsa and other major thoroughfares that is envisioned to end the traffic problem on EDSA and Metro Manila.
“The ultimate solution to the traffic problem is volume reduction. However, to attain it, we have to augment the railway system with the centralized and synchronized bus dispatch system,” Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento said.
“Once the commuting public will finally realize that with the train and the bus working hand in hand efficiently in moving passengers and the riding public, then we can now introduce other volume reduction measures,” he added.
Sarmiento said the proposed synchronized bus dispatch system is in compliance with the National Economic and Development Authority National Transport Policy to come up with the Philippine Transport System Master Plan which guide the development of an intermodal transport network, and bus system is one component of it.
For the semi-bus rapid transit system to become effective, Sarmiento suggested to rationalize the service route of the buses that plies along EDSA.
Sarmiento said that the DoTr under Tugade has already agreed to work together with the MMDA and the House Committee on Transportation to put together a more detailed plan and timeline on the implementation of the bus dispatch system.
“The DoTr through Secretary Tugade and the MMDA under Chairman Danilo Lim will be on top of this whole program. The House of Representatives, upon the direction of Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano, will be there to help in terms of policy inputs and also to make sure that we can set this plan into motion the soonest time possible,” Sarmiento said.
Sarmiento said that having multiple bus service routes for EDSA buses would make it very difficult to synchronize the bus schedules and defeat the purpose of creating a predictable loading and unloading time for passengers in designated bus stops.
At present, there are buses that ply EDSA with varying origins and destinations.
With this, Sarmiento said it would be difficult to fully synchronize their schedules.
He then proposed that additional “carousel-like” bus service routes can be created for passengers traversing to and from other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.
“This will allow the passengers to transfer from one carousel-like bus service routes to another until it reached its final destination by having utmost single bus transfer only,” he said.
As this developed, the Metro Manila Development Authority advised commuters and motorists to brace for a weekend traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and other main thoroughfares in the National Capital Region.
With clearance from the MMDA, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Friday evening resumed its road repair of various road sections in the metropolis.
DPWH National Capital Region director Ador Canlas said road rehabilitation works will cover Edsa, southbound directions from corner Bulacan Street to Philam, 1st lane from center island; from Lagarian Creek to Arayat Cubao; and from Eugenio Lopez Drive to Timog MRT Station; and at the northbound direction from Main Avenue to P. Tuazon, 1st lane from sidewalk.
Repair works will also be undertaken at the southbound directions of Circumferential Road 5 (C-5 Road), from C.P. Garcia Bridge approach B, innermost lane; and Taguig City, fronting Palar Village 2nd innermost lane; and at the northbound directions of A. Bonifacio Avenue, near Sergeant Rivera Street, 1st lane from sidewalk; and Batasan/San Mateo Road, from Sapphire Drive to Presidential Road, 1st lane from center island.
Road repair activities will similarly cover the eastbound directions of Quirino Highway, from Junji Street to Camilo Oasis, outer lane; and Elliptical Road, before Commonwealth Avenue, 5th lane from outer sidewalk; and at the westbound direction of General Luis Street, from Oriental Tin to Rebisco.
Due to expected traffic slowdown in affected areas, motorists are also advised to take possible alternate routes, until road sections re-open at 5 a.m. Monday (Sept. 2).
The DPWH temporarily suspended its road works last week because of the bad weather condition brought by Typhoon Ineng.
The government had imposed a policy prohibiting diggings and other road works at daytime.
The ban of road works at daytime came following the MMDA meeting with DPWH officials to further improve the flow of traffic in Metro Manila.
The government also required contractors to use quick-dry cement on the road works to be able to meet the one-day curing period. With PNA
