The chairman and vice chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development said they “empathize” with the Management Association of the Philippines and the whole business community that the country is in a “traffic calamity.”
“Yes, I agree that we have a Traffic Calamity, not only here in Metro-Manila but also in metropolitan areas in other parts of the country,” said Manila Second District Representative Rolando Valeriano, committee chairman.
“A Greater Manila mindset is needed.”
His vice chairman, Manila Third District Representative Joel Chua, said “a Greater Manila mindset is needed.”
Chua observed that much of the EDSA congestion “comes from vehicles and commuters from northern NCR and Central Luzon provinces, and from the east and west of EDSA going to the Makati and Manila”.
The legislator fears the traffic calamity will worsen when the La Niña floods hit later this year.
“Kaya ngayon pa lang nagpapaalala na tayo sa DPWH at MMDA na gawing puspusan ang pagkumpleto sa mga flood control and management projects at bridge construction na nakatakda ngayong taon. Isagawa ang construction 24/7 kung kinakailangan upang hindi maperwisyo ang publiko pagsapit ng habagat at bagyo,” the lawmaker stressed.
“Tollway rates on the Skyway 3 should be lowered to make the rates affordable.”
Valeriano said tollway rates on the Skyway 3 should be lowered to make the rates affordable.
“Skyway 3 rates now are really not affordable to the average motorist, especially given high fuel prices these days. I appeal to the Skyway 3 operator and DOTR to please find ways to reduce the Skyway 3 toll fees so that more motorists, cargo vehicles, and provincial buses will use the Skyway 3,” the legislator said.
“For example, buses from PITX, Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas going to Central Luzon and further north should be taking the Skyway 3 instead of EDSA, but the toll fee should not be exorbitant,” the lawmaker added.
He noted that Skyway 3’s impact on EDSA traffic was “strongly felt when it was toll-free from December 2020 to July 2021, but after that, most motorists chose to endure EDSA traffic because they could not afford the rates on Skyway”.
Valeriano, a Member of the House Public Works Committee, also prodded the DPWH to “build elevated multi-level and multi-purpose parking facilities in strategic locations. Elevated parking will clear roads of vehicles obstructing traffic and vendors that occupy sidewalks and lanes of roads. Elevated parking can be built on both private and public lots, abandoned lots, and expropriated lots”.
He also favors the return of no-contact apprehension all over Metro Manila.
“Traffic enforcers should focus solely on providing traffic management assistance, rather than be the messenger of punitive measures. Traffic enforcers should be on the roads to get traffic moving, not stopping vehicles to issue traffic citation tickets. Ang pangunahing layunin ng mga enforcer dapat ay ang pag-aayos ng trapik, hindi ang mag-abang ng mga magkakamali sa kalsada,” Valeriano stressed.
