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Friday, March 29, 2024

MM traffic hot spots named

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THE Metro Manila Development Authority has identified areas in the National Capital Region where emergency powers may be needed to resolve the monstrous traffic experienced by the public.

The MMDA released the list of areas as Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza warned congressmen against authorizing  gemergency h shortcuts in public transportation projects because this may lead to  gemergency corruption. 

Among these areas are the seven choke points along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue—Balintawak Market Road, Aurora Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe, Ayala Avenue and Taft Avenue.

Also included in the list are roads leading to and from Manila North Harbor Area, especially Circumferential Road – 3 (C-3 Road), A. Mabini Street, Dagat-Dagatan Avenue, North Bay Boulevard and Radial Road 10 (R-10).

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In Southern Metro Manila: major roads leading to Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals, particularly Airport Road, Domestic Road, Andrews Avenue, Tramo Avenue, Sucat Avenue and Sales Road; and    Alabang-Zapote Road and Circulo del Mundo Avenue.

In the northern part: Rizal Avenue, Samson Road, Gen. Malvar Street, MacArthur Highway, Karuhatan Road, Gen. De Leon, Pio Valenzuela and Gen. De Jesus.

In the eastern part: Santolan, Gil Fernando Bridge, Marcos Highway, San Juan Intersection, Pasig Intersection and Meralco Avenue.

In Quezon City: Boni Serrano Avenue, Araneta Avenue, Timog Avenue, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Katipunan Avenue, C.P. Garcia Avenue, Magsaysay Avenue, Capitol Intersection, Luzon flyover, J.P. Rizal, Ayala Heights Rotunda, Miriam Gate and Ateneo Gate.   

In Manila: Bonifacio Drive, Roxas Boulevard, España Boulevard, Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, Jose Abad Santos Avenue, Claro M. Recto Avenue, Sen. Osmeña Highway and Rizal Avenue (Carriedo).

Lawyer Crisanto Saruca, head of the MMDA Traffic Discipline Office, attributed the traffic problem from the lack of modern mass transport system, the increasing number of vehicles and road obstructions, among others.

“The traffic in the metropolis also caused by undisciplined motorists, illegally parked vehicles, and illegal structures of bus and jeepney terminals,” he said.

Study showed that Metro Manila is still in need of inter-city expressway of 426 kilometers until 2030. It also stated the metropolis needs urban and suburban railways of six main lines with 246 kilometers and five secondary lines with 72 kilometers, respectively, to improve traffic in the Philippines, especially in the NCR.

But Atienza said government does not need special powers to sort out the growing motor vehicle traffic mess, which he said is largely due to sprawling corruption, incompetence, bad enforcement and poor compliance.

“Every day, we see obstructive road diggings everywhere left unattended by insensitive and inept district engineers who can’t seem to get the job done fast enough,” Atienza, former three-term mayor of Manila, said.

“In exchange for bribes, bus operators have illegally annexed our roads as their virtual terminals or waiting areas, adding to the jamming. Meanwhile, ‘colorum’ public utility vehicles continue to proliferate unchecked,” he said.

These and other persistent bottleneck issues may be addressed without extraordinary powers, Atienza said.

“Crooked officials are bound to exploit these alternate purchasing schemes to make more money for themselves at taxpayers’ expense, in putting up roads, bridges, flood control structures, street lamps, sidewalks, and just about anything that has to do with transportation,” Atienza warned.

Atienza also took note of the provision in the proposed measure on the “limited source bidding or selective bidding, direct contracting or single source procurement, repeat order, shopping, and negotiated procurement.”

“We will surely be swamped with ‘emergency’ transportation projects, including unnecessary and irrelevant projects, because that is where the biggest kickbacks will be, considering that all best practice standards will be cast aside,” Atienza said.

Without adequate intervention, the Philippines’ economic productivity losses due to traffic congestion would likely soon hit P6 billion a day, from today’s P2.4 billion, according to a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

This developed as Atienza pressed for corruption-free transportation management, rigid vehicle control regulation and highly aggressive enforcement to help ease congestion.

He said that instead of focusing so much on the emergency powers, Malacañang could start the planning for a rapid subway system around Metro Manila this early.

Atienza also proposed the Palace to designate “competent” executives to run the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 and the Metro Rail Transit 3, which could help move another one million passengers every day.

He added that the Duterte government must compel the Department of Public Works and Highways to totally avoid new road diggings that cannot be completed right away; as well as order a relentless crackdown on operators of  ecolorum f buses and other vehicles routinely paying bribes so they can run anywhere and without boundaries.

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