A wider study of traffic and other problems of Metro Manila

AFTER two weeks of the Metro Manila traffic project undertaken with the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the lead enforcement agency, there is definitely some improvement in most areas, especially along Epifanio de los Santos Ave. (EDSA).

This seems to have been achieved with stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, along with concentrated efforts on the six choke points along EDSA, including the removal of several U-turn slots that used to jam traffic and the clearing of many side roads of parked cars and other obstructions, so that they can now be used as alternate routes.

But the search for solutions to Metro Manila’s traffic problems must continue. A special effort must be made to speed up the construction work on many streets in the metropolis, which have not only blocked traffic but also caused flooding due to damage to drainage systems.

In the medium term, the problems hounding the area’s light rail systems – the Light Rail Transit and the Metro Rail Transit – must be straightened out, as these can absorb the bulk of city commuters who otherwise have to take buses, jeepneys, and private cars. There are also moves to locate bus stations and loading and unloading zones.

For long-term solutions, our government planners must look into plans for Metro Manila after World War II, when American military engineers built the circumferential road known as Highway 54 in 1954, now known as EDSA. There were supposed to be five other circumferential roads; C-5 was subsequently built, but the others seem to have been set aside.

Then there was the Metro Manila Transport, Land Use, and Development Planning Project of 1977 which recommended a Light Rail Transport system which eventually came into being along Rizal Ave. It also proposed that franchises for buses and jeepneys be limited to a few years, instead of 25 years. It would be worthwhile to review this 1977 plan for ideas that may apply to today’s traffic conditions.

In subsequent years, many other proposals were made, which impact on Metro Manila’s traffic situation. A worthy one is the move to utilize Clark as an alternate international airport to serve Luzon north of Manila, a proposal that continues to be opposed by interests with a heavy stake in maintaining the primacy of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport despite its obvious limitations.

The Metro Manila traffic gridlock was years in the making, caused in part by unplanned growth, lack of foresight, and neglect of problems as they arose. It will take more than a few weeks to correct the situation. As the HPG and other agencies work with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to straighten out the area traffic, the planners assigned by President Aquino, led by Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, could start a wider and longer-range study of the issue, including previous plans as well as the newer proposals, and covering not just traffic but also the economic growth and development of Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.