House Committee endorses ‘Traffic Crisis Act’
The House Committee on Transportation has endorsed for plenary approval the proposed Traffic Crisis Act which seeks to address the traffic congestion hounding Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao City.
The panel, chaired by Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, said the Committee Report No. 389 on House Bill 6425 or the proposed “TrafficCrisis Act of 2016 Maki-isa, Makisama, Magka-isa” was filed on Tuesday.
“This bill is up for plenary deliberation. We request your support for this. We need strength in numbers to implement this law and solve the traffic crisis that has pestered our lives and our economy,” Sarmiento said.
He said the bill is the Lower Chamber’s “urgent, immediate and comprehensive” response to the traffic crisis.
“This bill is replete with easily-implementable programs that have immediate and far-reaching implications in our transportation sector in contrast to the big-ticket transportation projects which usually take years to complete,” Sarmiento said.
The approval of the committee report was delayed because the panel had to consider the inputs of the House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles.
Among these are “the funding for the Metro Councils, which now will come from their respective budgets, removal of the Department of Social Welfare and Development CCT (conditional cash transfer) program from the social support mechanism for the displaced transport workers, and removal of PAGCOR’s (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) contribution to the traffic fund,” according to the House leader.
The bill names the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary as de officio Traffic Chief to ensure the implementation of the proposed Act.
In January, the House Committee on Transportation, approved the bill, authored by Alvarez, Sarmiento and Majority Leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas.
Under the bill, the DOTr Secretary is empowered to streamline the management of traffic and transportation and control road use in the identified Metropolitan Areas.
The Traffic Chief shall have the power of supervision and control over the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority; Cebu Coordinating Council, as created under Section 9 of the Act; Philippine National PoliceTraffic Management Group; Land Transportation Office; Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board; Road Board; all other executive agencies, bureaus and offices with roles pertaining to land transportation regulation; and Davao Traffic Administrator. The Traffic Chief, as alter ego of the President, shall have power of supervision over all local government units (LGUs) within the Metropolitan Areas.