Lack of discipline has been identified as the primary cause of severe traffic congestion on Marcos Highway.
This was the final assessment made by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) as the agency continues to implement programs and initiatives to address the perennial traffic issues on this arterial road.
Based on the highway traffic assessment, the blatant violation of traffic regulations, which shows lack of discipline, is the main cause of the heavy traffic on the highway.
Among the other contributing factors are the fact that public utility jeepneys often stop and pick up/drop off passengers at the wrong places, causing traffic congestion; passengers waiting on the road instead of at the designated spots; and motorists insisting on their own will even when it is wrong, resulting in chaos and traffic slowdown.
The MMDA, in collaboration with local government units (LGUs) of Antipolo, Cainta, Marikina, and Pasig, has implemented various traffic interventions.
These include the replacement of the concrete barriers with 20 orange plastic barriers; relocation and reconfiguration of U-turn slots in coordination with the concerned LGUs within the area; and traffic signal adjustments on the signalized intersection of Sumulong Highway and Marcos Highway.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes said they also requested the LGUs to ask mall owners to refrain from conducting mall-wide sales during peak periods due to the significant increase in vehicle volume brought about by heavy commercial activity.
“We are not prohibiting malls from conducting per-store sales. What we are emphasizing is cooperation—especially in managing the surge of shoppers, which directly impacts traffic,” Artes said.
MMDA records showed that an average of 270,000 vehicles traverse the Marcos Highway daily.
“Traffic inevitably becomes heavier during weekends, so coordination is crucial. We need to synchronize traffic adjustments immediately with the LGUs,” Artes said.
