The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), led by Chairman Romando Artes together with the representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the 17 Metro Manila local government units and concerned national agencies, held the 4th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) Meeting for the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for the Metro Manila Project.
The JICA Project Team presented the summary of the 5-year Action Plan on Traffic Management that highlighted the traffic management issues facing Metropolitan Manila: various short-term and long-term strategies and interventions to manage congestion problems, particularly at priority traffic bottlenecks; and existing signal systems and capacity building in engineering, enforcement, education, road safety, and active transport.
“We are also currently implementing several recommendations from the action plan through the agency’s mandates and have produced significant improvements.”
“To ensure execution of the plan, the MMDA, in its capacity, will carry out its commitments to the strategies and projects in the action plan. We are also currently implementing several recommendations from the action plan through the agency’s mandates and have produced significant improvements,” Artes said during the meeting.
Listed as improvement measures at major traffic bottlenecks in the metropolis are intersection geometry upgrades, signal timing optimization and new signal installation, pavement marking adjustments, and installation of standardized traffic signs.
The CTMP, the traffic chief said, would strengthen the traffic management capabilities for the National Capital Region as he urged the LGUs and national agencies to do their roles and adopt the projects so that traffic conditions in Metro Manila can be mitigated.
“Close coordination among all sectors is needed to effectively address traffic management issues.”
According to Seiya Matsuoka, Project Team Lead and Road Traffic Management Specialist, close coordination among all sectors is needed to effectively address traffic management issues.
The traffic head also requested JICA to provide technical assistance in the development of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) in Metro Manila using innovative Japanese technology to address traffic in Metro Manila.
