More solutions for ‘world’s worst traffic’

IN comments reacting to the buzz surrounding the publication of a report — called the TomTom Traffic Index — identifying Metro Manila as having the worst traffic congestion among 387 cities in 55 countries, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stressed that the development of comprehensive and efficient public transportation systems must be the ultimate solution to the chronic gridlock in the nation’s largest metropolitan area.

That view is most welcome, and we believe the President is absolutely on the right track. Likewise, his recommendation that the currently underutilized Pasig River Ferry system be improved and expanded was quite sensible, as it is one of the few public transportation developments that could be accomplished relatively quickly and at a relatively low cost. The river ferry would, of course, only have a modest effect on traffic congestion, but as we wrote in Wednesday’s editorial, an overall, lasting solution will almost certainly require many small steps. None of those should be overlooked so long as they are feasible because all will contribute positively.

However, as we also noted Wednesday, improved public transportation is necessarily a long-term solution. Along with the substantial investment in time and resources required for public transportation to effectively reduce traffic congestion, a change in the public mindset is necessary. To put it bluntly, perceptions of public transportation have to change from “the poor man’s mobility” to a preferable transportation option for everyone. That will take time, and, of course, it will also require that safe, efficient and reliable public transportation is actually available.

The traffic congestion problem will only continue to worsen if we wait for long-term fixes, so any short-term measures that can be implemented should be assessed and applied. In the spirit of at least attempting to contribute to a solution, we have a few more recommendations.

First, the operating hours restrictions imposed on malls and shopping centers should be dropped. This was first implemented several years ago by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and primarily affects establishments located along or in close proximity to EDSA, the country’s busiest road. The rationale at the time was that by forcing malls to move back their opening times to 11 a.m., morning traffic would be relieved. It has frankly never worked, and all it does is impose an unjustifiable restraint on retail businesses. By doing the opposite, allowing malls to exercise flexibility and extend their operating hours, the traffic they attract would be more spread out throughout the day.

Second, the MMDA should impose restrictions on vehicles, particularly heavy trucks operated by government agencies, from using the city’s main thoroughfares; they can be banned outright unless they are actually carrying out work along the restricted roads or limited to nighttime or off-peak hours. There is no logical reason whatsoever why large garbage trucks, for example, traveling from outlying cities and municipalities to the disposal site in the upper reaches of Quezon City, should be traversing EDSA and other main city streets during rush hour and other daytime peak traffic times.

Third, sidewalk and road obstruction-clearing operations should be thorough and carried out on a continuous basis rather than as occasional, one-off exercises. For this, the MMDA should enlist the help of the individual local governments in Metro Manila and carefully monitor them to ensure it is being carried out. Illegally parking, roadside vendors, ambulant vendors who slow traffic by plying their trade in the middle of the street, illegal and unmanaged trash dumping — all of these need to be removed and kept from the streets and sidewalks. For those people whose livelihoods are adversely affected, safe alternative locations should be provided.

Finally, the MMDA must impose some control over the chaos caused by the utter lawlessness of the vast majority of motorcycle riders. Much of this can be corrected with more intensive and continuous on-the-ground traffic enforcement, as we explained in the previous editorial, but one additional measure may help. Banning the practice of “lane-splitting,” or maneuvering between cars in-lane, should be implemented and enforced. Not only will this greatly improve the flow of traffic, particularly through intersections, but it will also improve safety for motorcyclists, car drivers and pedestrians.