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Friday, March 29, 2024

Worsening traffic caused by more wheels – Lim

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The traffic problem cannot be solved in an instance despite the road clearing operations and other measures being implemented by the Metro Manila Development Authority and local government units.

The worsening situation, according to MMDA chairman Danilo Lim, is caused primarily by the increasing number of vehicles and the lack of discipline among drivers.

During a meeting with members of the Metro Manila Council on Thursday, Lim revealed that the number of registered vehicles in Metro Manila had almost doubled while its road network has only increased by 7 percent.

The MMC, composed of the 17 mayors and local executives in Metro Manila, is the governing board and the policy-making body of the MMDA. 

Lim said at least 900 vehicles are added to the average daily volume of vehicular traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and other main thoroughfares in the metropolis.

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“This is the problem which Metro Manila is facing. Cars are multiplying but the road capacity has barely changed. Infrastructure projects under the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program are underway,” said Lim.

“While waiting for the completion of the infrastructure projects, let us maintain what we have started. This is the greater challenge of the campaign. There is no overnight solution to address our traffic problems,” he added.

The MMDA chief urged the local chief executives of Metro Manila to ensure the continuity of the road clearing operations “despite the end of the deadline as directed by President Duterte.”

He lauded the efforts of the Metro Manila mayors in clearing the streets of obstructions but said more has to be done.

“Our work is not yet finished. This is a continuing project. We have to maintain and sustain our clearing operations amid the increasing number of vehicles that worsen traffic in Metro Manila,” said Lim during the 26th MMC meeting at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City.

Lim said the MMDA is always ready to assist the local government units in compliance with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to reclaim public roads.

In line with this, members of the MMC have agreed to institutionalize the road clearing through a resolution that will be adopted by the 17 LGUs.

Meanwhile, MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said barangay officials play a major role in keeping obstructions off the streets.

“It is the responsibility of the barangay chairmen to maintain cleared roads,” said Garcia.

Majority of the obstructions cleared in Metro Manila are illegally-parked vehicles, sidewalk vendors, barangay and police outposts.

The MMDA is hoping that the government will pursue with the planned construction of subway system to ease traffic in the metropolis and nearby provinces. 

The MMDA admitted that Metro Manila is still in need of inter-city expressway of 426 kilometers until 2030. It stated the metropolis also needs urban and suburban railways of six main lines with 246 kilometers and five secondary lines with 72 kilometers, respectively, to improve traffic in the Philippines, especially in the NCR.

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