Poe wants a ‘mobility czar’ to address traffic congestion in major cities
Abill seeking the creation of an office for a “mobility czar” to handle all transport and traffic matters has been recommended for plenary approval by the Senate Committee on Public Services.
Senator Grace Poe sponsored on Monday afternoon Senate Bill No. 1157 or the proposed Mobile Relief Act, which seeks to establish the Office of Mobility Czar which would be mandated with addressing the traffic congestion in urban areas of the country.
This was the substitute and consolidation of the measures seeking to address the traffic problem, including the proposed grant of emergency powers to President Duterte to solve the worsening traffic crisis particularly in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Davao City.
In her speech, Poe said the bill was crafted out of the “good solutions” raised in the hearings conducted by the committee and the bills filed by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, and Sens. Ramon Revilla Jr., and Francis Tolentino.
Under the bill, the mobility czar, who will be under the Office of the President, shall be “ultimately responsible for transportation and traffic-related functions”.
Among its functions, the mobility czar shall lead the formulation of a Mobility Action Plan for each of the urban area and local government units . The action plan should detail the short, medium and long-term steps to be taken to alleviate the traffic problems in the three areas within specified time frames.
It shall also re-structure the routes and operating protocols imposed on road-based public transport vehicles, including provincial and intra-city buses, jeepneys, taxis, taxis, UV express, and others.
The mobility czar also has the authority to recommend the modification, revision, amendment, substitution, suspension or revocation of franchises issued by the Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board and those issued by local government units for tricycles.
He or she should also review, or if necessary, suspend, modify, revise or amend any affected local ordinances or existing traffic regulations in coordination with all concerned local government units and agencies.
The official can also propose a list of priority infrastructure projects for the short, medium and long-term that shall be implemented by national and/or local agencies responsible for roads, railways, traffic engineering, public transport facilities, such as terminals, stations, and passenger interchange structures.
Poe said the SB No. 1157 also compels the “urgent crafting” of a transportation management plan containing programs with “longer shelf life so that it transcends administrations.”