Malls and commercial centers in Metro Manila adjusted their business hours Monday to comply with a proposal by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to help ease traffic congestion during the holiday season.
Starting November 14 until January 6, these establishments will open at 11 a.m. and close at 11 p.m. for a 12-hour operating window.
Meanwhile, the volume of vehicles on Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares is expected to increase by around 10% to 20% during the “ber” months, MMDA spokesperson Mel Carunungan said in a public briefing.
Carunungan said the daily number of vehicles on EDSA was at 398,000 as of November 10, which is already close to the pre-pandemic record of 400,000.
Around 900 to 1,000 enforcers are being deployed on major thoroughfares per eight-hour shift, she added.
The MMDA makes this annual agreement with the mall operators to somehow decongest traffic where these commercial establishments are located during the daytime and nighttime Christmas rush, the spokesperson said.
The agreement was made during the MMDA’s meeting last Tuesday with major stakeholders at the agency’s new building in Pasig City.
MMDA acting chair Romando Artes said the agency asked the mall operators to adjust the mall hours to address the expected heavy traffic jams during the holiday shopping rush.
“We have to implement remedial measures to reduce traffic congestion. Mall wide sales will be only allowed during weekends. Also, deliveries will be during 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. only. Exempted from the regulation are deliveries of perishable goods, restaurants serving breakfast, and groceries,” Artes said.
Artes also said shopping mall operators are directed to submit their respective traffic management plans and indicate their mall sales and promotional events two weeks before the schedule of such events.
“We will make a further study on their traffic management plan. We will deploy the necessary number of traffic enforcers to man the traffic,” he said.
Artes also hinted at the possibility of lifting the restriction on mall operating hours earlier than January 6, depending on the post-Christmas traffic situation.
“We will observe the traffic situation in the metropolis on December 26. If the traffic is normal and manageable, we will immediately lift the restrictions and announce it to the public,” he said.
Present during the meeting were representatives from SM Malls, Robinson’s, Araneta Center, Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Shopping Center, Trinoma Vertis, among others.
The MMDA also announced the temporary suspension of all excavation activities in Metro Manila’s national roads effective midnight of November 14 up to midnight of January 6, 2023, including road reblocking works, pipe laying, road upgrading, and all other excavation works.
Projects not covered by the suspension are flagship projects of the government, bridge repair and construction being undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways, load interceptor catchment project (box culvert), asphalt overlay projects without reblocking works, sidewalk improvement, and drainage improvement projects along the sidewalk and not occupying any part of the roadway.
Also excluded from the suspension were emergency leak repair or breakage of water line by the Manila Water and the Maynilad Water Services, projects using trenchless or horizontal directional drilling method, new water service or electrical service connections, road activities without excavation (traffic clearance only), traffic signalization projects, and Meralco relocation works affecting major projects of the government.