MMDA chairman Don Arts presides over stakeholders meeting during the finalization of traffic plan for Metro Manila in anticipation of huge volume of vehicles for the Holiday season. (photo: MMDA)
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has finalized the traffic plan it crafted in anticipation of the huge volume of vehicles as the Holiday season nears in the National Capital Region.
MMDA chairman Don Artes said the traffic plan was consulted with the local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders that include shopping mall operators and was given a go-signal by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
He said water, electricity, and telecommunications companies also committed to supporting the traffic plan in terms of the repair services that could affect the flow of vehicles in Metro Manila’s thoroughfares.
“We have to implement remedial measures to reduce traffic congestion as vehicle volume in Metro Manila increases during the holidays,” said Artes.
Traffic alleviating measures
There are 421,000 vehicles traversing EDSA on a daily basis and Artes said this usually increases on the days leading to Christmas.
One of the MMDA’s traffic alleviating measures for the Christmas season is the temporary suspension of all road right-of-way excavation activities in Metro Manila effective midnight of Nov. 18 up to midnight of Dec. 25.
According to Artes, these include road re-blocking works, pipe-laying, road upgrading and other excavation works that may hinder or disrupt the smooth flow of traffic.
But he said exempted from the moratorium are flagship projects of the government, DPWH bridge repair and construction, flood interceptor catchment projects, and emergency leak repair.
Another measure, the MMDA chief said, is to require shopping mall operators to submit respective traffic management plans to the agency for their respective mall sales and other promotional events two weeks before the scheduled dates of such events.
Shopping mall operators in Metro Manila will begin their operations by 11 a.m., an hour later from the usual 10 a.m. opening time, starting November 18 up to December 25.
“The closing of mall shopping hours will depend on the mall operators’ preference. But we encourage them to extend to give the public more time to do their errands and last-minute shopping,” Artes emphasized.
There are 131 malls in the National Capital Region and 29 of them are located along EDSA.
“Mall-wide sales shall not be allowed. However, sale on certain stores or outlets inside the mall may be allowed even on weekdays provided that no announcement, advertisement or tarpaulin of the same are posted,” said Artes.
Deliveries of shopping mall operators shall only be allowed during nighttime, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day, except for perishable goods such as food and ice.
Mass transport
Artes said the MMDA will also ask the Department of Transportation to extend the public transport system's operating hours.
This, he said, is aimed at ensuring that there will be sufficient for late-night commuters and mall employees.
The mass transport, he said, are the EDSA Bus Carousel system, the Light Rail Transit and the Metro Rail Transit.