“Focus must be on reclaiming all roads lost to squatters and street vendors to maximize road usage”
AFTER all the revelries, it’s back to the salt mines. One lingering problem that needs serious government attention is the traffic in the National Capital Region which continues to worsen
This is not only because of increasing motorization and the ongoing repair of NCR’s main thoroughfare, EDSA, but also due to all the obstacles, challenges and traffic malpractices contributing to the traffic gridlock.
Considering population congestion and limited road mileage in relation to the number of vehicles, skeptics might say that this may no longer be possible. But it can actually still be done depending on the specific traffic mission chosen.
This will also have to do with the competence of the traffic officials designated to do the job. Public confidence would naturally be higher if our traffic managers can implement science-based traffic solutions. If not, therein lies the problem.
In addition, the motoring public, which means all those using the road whether they are vehicle owners, public transport riders or simply those who prefer walking, must also do their part.
For the public, traffic discipline is paramount while our traffic managers must be competent. In addition, there is a need to change our unique traffic culture.
For many of us who have been able to travel overseas, we know that our traffic culture is so different from other countries.
For instance, we are perhaps the only country that puts fences on our roads.
Our traffic authorities also install heavy cement barriers instead of water filled plastic barriers on our busy roads, knowing that this could cause serious traffic accidents as they already have including fatal ones.
In other countries, traffic authorities could be taken to court for this but not here. It is surprising that up to now, no one has ever done it. Cement barriers continue to be installed along EDSA and other national roads in the NCR, causing serious traffic accidents.
Sidewalks as well as roads intended for pedestrians and vehicles havein many cases been used for dwelling, commercial and basketball courts. The unfortunate part is that instead of the government prohibiting this practice, it tolerates it, severely limiting road usage.
Examples of this is the Baclaran church and the area around the former Tutuban station. Traffic authorities have been struggling for years to clear these areas but failed. Yes, the streets could be cleared for several days only for the street vendors to return days after.
And we are only talking of traffic-related problems.
If we throw in flooding and garbage collection, MMDA’s functions are indeed overwhelming.
But it is in traffic where the most inconvenience to daily living is caused in the NCR and this must be where a major part of MMDA’s effort has to be.
With MMDA under a new day-to-day management, the division of labor is still apparently being ironed out but we already have a glimpse of some priorities.
One is to improve response time in cases of traffic accidents. No mention so far about other matters like improving travel time but we hope General Torre will focus on these issues.
This is because traffic congestion is the core of the traffic problem in the NCR. If GM Torre can find some ways to improve travel time which others before him were not able to do, then the NCR public will forever be grateful to him.
To accomplish this, he must reorient MMDA’s traffic management direction so all the agency’s muscle will be directed to this single issue of improving travel time.
Focus must be on reclaiming all roads lost to squatters and street vendors to maximize road usage.
The installation of multipliers like CCTVs must also be increased to the fullest to assist in traffic enforcement after the Supreme Court finally allowed the No Contact Apprehension Policy to proceed. Lastly, it would help if MMDA can finally set up a state of the art traffic operation center to be ready to operate all the intelligent street signals if and when these new equipment will eventually be installed which is also a must.
If MMDA or GM Torre will be successful in all these endeavors, travel time around the NCR will likely improve by making mobility more bearable than current conditions.
