The government is seeking clarification on a 2023 study stating that Metro Manila has the worst traffic among 387 metro areas in the world.
Chairman Don Artes of the Metro Manila Development Authority said his agency will reach out to those behind the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index to ask them about the methodologies used in the conduct of the study.
The Amsterdam-based TomTom is a multinational traffic data provider and location technology specialist.
“We want to know the methodology employed. If there is an actual count and when did they conduct the study,” said Artes.
He cited as an example Quezon Avenue, which according to the study was the busiest street in Metro Manila last year.
“Per our data, it is still EDSA as Metro Manila’s busiest road based on our regularly conducted actual count. With this alone, we can see that there is a difference between our data and TomTom’s. Quezon Avenue is only the third busiest road per our data,” he said.
Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the government’s ongoing road transport infrastructure projects “are directed at improving commuter experience while addressing worsening traffic in highly urbanized areas.”
“The top ranking of Metro Manila in world traffic poses a challenge not just for DOTr but other agencies as well to be creative at finding lasting solutions to metro traffic,” he said.
“We will fast-track road projects while collaborating with appropriate agencies with the help of the private sector,” Bautista added.
The MMDA, the agency responsible for managing traffic in the National Capital Region, admitted it is still struggling to address the road congestion in the metropolis.
But Artes assured the public that the MMDA, in close coordination with the Department of Transportation and other government agencies, is actively working to find a solution to the persistent traffic issue.
He said necessary comprehensive traffic management interventions are in place.
The MMDA chief also acknowledged that traffic congestion in the metropolis is a decades-old problem and attributed it to various factors, such as vehicle volume, lane blockages, diggings and road repairs, ongoing construction of government flagship infrastructure projects, road configuration and conditions, and suspension of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP).
“Metro Manila has exceeded its carrying capacity for vehicles since it has 3.6 million vehicles on a 5,000-kilometer road network. In EDSA alone, there are 400,000+ vehicles traversing the highway daily, but its carrying capacity is only for 300,000 vehicles,” Artes explained.
Illegal parking, illegal structures, vehicular accidents, and vehicles near school premises also contribute to traffic, he added.
MMDA registered more than 70,000 in its partial road crash statistics report for the last year.
Artes noted that a roadway incident causing a 30-minute standstill leads to a traffic backlog spanning 2.5 kilometers and requires approximately 42 minutes to clear, according to the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan presented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
He also noted road configuration and conditions in specific areas where there are abrupt transitions from wider and higher lanes to narrow lane passages. He cited the NAIA-X ramps in front of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and C-5 Kalayaan Avenue.
The temporary restraining order on the NCAP also took a toll on traffic congestion and the implementation of necessary traffic rules and regulations to mitigate it.
Prior to the announcement of the temporary suspension of the policy on Aug. 31, 2022, there were only 761 recorded apprehensions on that day. Artes said it increased to thousands per month last year.
Artes said the MMDA is planning to deploy covers to keep onlookers or “usiseros” from slowing down to take photos and videos of accidents. He said the covers are expected to be procured this year.
The agency is also studying the proposed EDSA elevated walkways and has recommended to the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation that trains which are yet to be constructed will all be subway or underground.
Also part of the agency’s current interventions are the new and improved MMDA Communications and Command Center, JICA-funded improvements in intersections of Metro Manila, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), and regular clearing operations conducted by the Special Operations Group-Strike Force.
While he said that a whole of government approach will be employed, Artes also appealed to the public to help the government in addressing the problem in traffic.