Corruption behind traffic jams – Atienza

The worsening traffic congestion in Metro Manila is due to corruption, Rep. Lito Atienza of party-list group Buhay said on Saturday.

He said the bill granting emergency powers to concerned government agencies to deal with traffic problems is not the answer to congestion.

“This is not the solution. This would only aggravate the situation since it does not address the real cause of traffic gridlocks in Metro Manila and other urban areas – corruption,” he said.

The former Manila mayor said giving agencies “emergency powers that would suspend laws on bidding and procurement might only open the floodgate to more corruption.”

He pointed out that corruption is evident in the nonenforcement of traffic rules by authorities in Metro Manila.

“Traffic enforcers are not enforcing the law. They are looking the other way and allowing corrupt interests to take precedence over performing their sworn task. An example of this is the continued proliferation of illegal bus and jeep terminals,” Atienza stressed.

He noted that transport terminals remain along EDSA in Cubao, Quezon City and in the Pasay City area despite repeated pronouncements from responsible officials to relocate them to the fringes of the metropolis where there is less traffic congestion.

There is traffic in these areas in Cubao and Pasay even on Sunday mornings because departing and arriving buses go in and out of the terminals or are parked on the road, he said.

In Manila, the city government has converted even busy roads like Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo into parking lots, he said.