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MMDA asked: Exempt seniors from odd-even EDSA traffic scheme

Philippines | National

MMDA asked: Exempt seniors from odd-even EDSA traffic scheme

By Joseph Pedrajas

At A Glance

A lawmaker on Wednesday, May 28, asked the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to exempt senior citizens from the implementation of the odd-even traffic scheme on EDSA.

A lawmaker on Wednesday, May 28, asked the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to exempt senior citizens from the implementation of the odd-even traffic scheme on EDSA.

Senior Citizens Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes sent separate letters to MMDA Chairman Romando Artes and DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon to relay the impact on the mobility and well-being of senior citizens of the proposed traffic scheme in the country's major thoroughfare.

The lawmaker stressed that many of the elderly "rely on their private vehicles to attend essential medical appointments, therapy sessions, and other vital activities that are not easily rescheduled".

They also face physical limitations and health risks when using public transportation, especially under extreme weather conditions, he said.

"Unlike the general public, seniors face unique challenges in using public transportation, including physical limitations, vulnerability to accidents, and susceptibility to extreme heat or sudden weather changes," Ordanes said in his letter.

Ordanes says granting exemptions would be "a compassionate and practical measure aligned" with the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 (Republic Act No. 9994), which guarantees support for the welfare of senior citizens.

He also offered to coordinate with relevant agencies to establish a proper system for identifying and registering qualified senior citizen drivers and passengers.

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