Traffic in most of Manila’s major thoroughfares is continuously improving, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said Thursday.
Citing a report from the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, Estrada attributed the traffic improvement in the city to relentless anti-illegal parking and road clearing operations and establishment of “Pook Kaayusan” traffic discipline zones all over the capital.
“Solving our traffic problems is indeed a gargantuan task. We still have so much to do, but I can proudly say that somehow, traffic in our city is now 50 percent better, faster,” Estrada said.
Estrada said he sees the continuous improvement of traffic flow in Manila’s major thoroughfares in the coming months because of the renewed resolve of the MTPB and the Traffic Enforcement Unit of the Manila Police District to go after undisciplined motorists, pedestrians and illegal vendors.
“We’re getting there. We’ll just have to be more consistent in our efforts,” he added.
MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza said they have recorded up to 50 percent improvement in traffic flow in several areas such as the España Boulevard-Lerma-Nicanor Reyes area, Quezon Boulevard, Rizal Avenue, Tayuman, Abad Santos Avenue, CM Recto Avenue, Pedro Gil, and Carriedo.
“What we’ve been doing, with Mayor Estrada’s directions, is to identify traffic prone areas, the major arteries, which perennially have heavy volume of vehicles, that’s where we will concentrate,” he explained.
For instance, Alcoreza said traffic flow along Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo is now faster compared to two months ago.
“Traffic is easing up in Quezon Boulevard. There’s a lot of improvement. Traffic improved more than 50 percent,” said Alcoreza.
Along España, every intersection is manned round-the-clock by traffic enforcers who strictly implement traffic rules, he added.
“Traffic is usually caused by the simple reason that no one is actually manning the roads, plus the presence of obstructions,” the MTPB chief stressed.
Alcoreza said the traffic improvement could be attributed to Estrada’s idea of putting up “Pook Kaayusan” or traffic discipline zones in major intersections; eight such zones have been put up since January.
Ten enforcers are permanently assigned to each “Pook Kaayusan” that will work in two shifts, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 to 10 p.m. every day. The area is also monitored 24/7 by closed-circuit cameras.
Earlier, Estrada has also ordered the city’s Task Force Manila Cleanup to keep Divisoria Market and other vending areas clean and organized so as not to contribute to traffic congestion.
Since June, Estrada has intensified the city government’s road and sidewalk clearing operations, driving away more than 3,500 illegal vendors and removing countless number of obstructions and illegal structures.
Estrada has personally led clearing operations in Divisoria, Blumentritt, Quiapo, Binondo, Sta. Cruz, R-10, and Pedro Gil, among others, and major roads leading to and from the Port of Manila to clear up precious road spaces that have been occupied by illegal vendors and other obstructions.