Shopping malls and commercial centers significantly contribute to heavy traffic on Metro Manila’s main roads, especially during ‘-ber months’ as the holidays approach.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) expects a 20% surge in traffic during this period —September through December—due largely to increased activity at these establishments.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes plans a consultative meeting with mall owners and operators to discuss anticipated traffic during peak buying and crowd-drawing months.
The discussion will include adjustments to opening and closing hours and a ban on daytime deliveries to shopping malls and commercial centers.
The MMDA noted that delivery trucks and container vans worsen traffic, especially during the “-ber months.”
There are at least 131 malls in the National Capital Region, with 29 located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
“We will still ask them (mall operators) to do deliveries and other activities at night, and to extend mall hours,” said Artes.
The MMDA stated that the closing time for malls will depend on the operators’ preferences, but it encouraged them to extend their hours to give the public more time for errands and last-minute shopping.
Artes will also request the Department of Transportation to extend the operating hours of public transport systems, including the EDSA Bus Carousel, LRT, and MRT, to accommodate late-night commuters and mall employees.
The agency plans to intensify road clearing operations and combat illegal parking and obstructions on major streets and Mabuhay Lanes, which serve as alternative routes for private motorists.
The agency is promoting the Mabuhay Lane routes to help drivers avoid heavy traffic, especially during the holiday season.
Recent operations conducted by the MMDA Special Operations Group-Task Force for Road Clearing (SOG-TFRC) resulted in the impounding of 18 cars and the issuance of citation tickets to 41 other vehicles.
The operations were conducted along Plaridel Street in Barangay Doña Aurora, and areas of E. Rodriguez Sr., Monte De Piedad, New York Sreet, and Kamias Road, all in Quezon City.
