A CONGRESSMAN on Monday urged the Transportation department to extend the operating hours of the Philippine capital’s trains and bus lane as major thoroughfare Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) is set to undergo rehabilitation this year.
In a statement, Party-list Rep. Percival V. Cendana said the Department of Transportation (DoTr) should extend the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT), and EDSA bus carousel line’s hours to accommodate commuters amid the expected heavier flow of traffic in Metro Manila.
“It is even more important now to extend the operating hours of the MRT, LRT, and now even the EDSA Bus Carousel, as the EDSA rehabilitation will surely cause severe traffic congestion,” he said in Filipino.
“Private vehicles have options, but commuters do not. They must be provided with adequate public transportation,” he added.
EDSA serves as the Philippines’ main transportation artery, surrounding its capital city Manila and passes through business hubs such as Makati City. Around 407,000 vehicles pass through the major thoroughfare daily, according to government data.
Manila was the 14th most congested city in the world, with an average travel time of 32 minutes, according to the latest edition of the TomTom Traffic Index. The index assessed cities and metropolitan areas across 62 countries by their congestion and travel times and how many hours commuters stuck in traffic have lost.
A 2018 Japan International Cooperation Agency study showed that traffic congestion in Metro Manila costs the Southeast Asian nation P3.5 billion a day. The Public Works department will start its rehabilitation works by end-March, working on the thoroughfare “one lane at a time” around-the-clock, it said in a statement published on Facebook last week.
Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon in February said he’s open to extending the operating hours of the MRT and LRT but acknowledged possible challenges in maintaining the train sets.
Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Romando S. Artes in February said his agency has discussed a proposed five-year Comprehensive Traffic Management plan with the President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in preparation for the EDSA rehabilitation.
It includes upgrading traffic regulation and enforcement, developing a traffic management database, upgrading the traffic signal system, and improving intersections and traffic corridors. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio