The Metro Manila Development Authority on Monday urged motorists to use alternative routes to avoid traffic jams on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and other main roads designated for delegates of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit.
“Ongoing small group conferences and symposiums are scattered all over Metro Manila, attended by heads of states, cabinet secretaries, undersecretaries. All of these delegates have to be prioritized on the road,” said MMDA supervising officer for transport operations Edison Nebrija.
The MMDA advised motorists to use the Circumferential Road 5 (C-5 Road) and the Mabuhay lanes as alternative routes while the commuting public can use the Metro Railway Transit 3 in going to their destinations.
Nebrija said the traffic schemes and other road security measures being enforced during the event will last until Wednesday.
“We expect traffic in metropolis to go back to normal on Thursday. We are expecting all the heads of state to leave the country by Wednesday,” he said.
The MMDA advised motorists to avoid Edsa and the southern part of Metro Manila for them not to be caught on traffic in the event Asean convoys passes through those areas.
Nebrija said the agency is implementing stop and go schemes on designated special lanes to give way to convoy of vehicles carrying world leaders and government officials attending the event.
“We are adjusting our movements, security protocols and traffic management based on these guidelines from our higher headquarters,” said Nebrija, adding that only ambulances and emergency vehicles are allowed to use the exclusive lanes for Asean.
“Emergency vehicles may use the Asean lanes provided that there are no delegations present,” he explained.
Emergency vehicles whose passengers require urgent medical attention are given priority and spared from being stuck in traffic.
The MMDA designated two inner lanes of both sides of Edsa from Balintawak in Quezon City to Magallanes Avenue in Makati City. The thoroughfare should be cleared of vehicles whenever convoys traverse.
The number coding scheme is also being enforced from Nov. 13 to 15 despite the declaration of special non-working holidays in the National Capital Region, and in the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga.
More than 30,000 policemen, including the augmentation force from different regional offices in the country, were also deployed to provide and maintain security and safety of the delegates, routes, venue and billet during the summit.
Leaders and representatives from all 10 Member States of the ASEAN gathered to strengthen regional cooperation and partnership and discuss pertinent issues of global importance.