THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority yesterday appealed to motorists to use the “Mabuhay lanes” instead of crowding in major thoroughfares, particularly Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.
MMDA spokesperson Melissa Carunungan made the appeal as the agency said it expects traffic flow to peak today along EDSA and major roadways in the metropolis due to the Christmas rush.
“There are alternate routes that they can use when major roadways are crowded,” Carunungan said.
She said the MMDA has been continuously clearing the Mabuhay lanes to ensure these are free of traffic obstructions.
She said directional signage have also been installed on the Mabuhay lanes to guide motorists.
There are 17 Mabuhay lane routes coming from EDSA, North Luzon Expressway, Quezon City and Manila.
Carunungan said the MMDA is also coordinating with local government units in clearing these lanes of obstructions.
On Wednesday, Carunungan said the MMDA expects traffic flow to peak today.
She also said the MMDA expects the number of vehicles plying EDSA to peak at about 420,000 to 430, 000.
Sen. Grace Poe urged government to address the lack of transportation” to ease the burden of the riding public during the holidays.
“The demand for rides, notably during the activity-filled holiday season, has caught up with the sorely lacking public transportation especially in Metro Manila,” said Poe, chair of the committee on public services.
Poe made the pitch after reports said that commuters have to wait for hours just to get a ride.
She said government should coordinate with transport providers “to ensure that adequate public utility vehicles are on the road to safely and comfortably bring our people to their destination.
“It is not yet late, though, for our transportation officials to work something out to deploy more PUVs such as buses to help ease the hours of wait before getting a ride,” she added.
Poe also called on concerned government agencies and private ride-hailing companies to quickly act on complaints of “contracting, overcharging, and cancellation of bookings” made by some ruthless riders preying on hapless commuters.
Netizens have posted on social media sites their grievances as some motorcycle riders have opted to resort to “habal-habal” or contracting passengers instead of getting bookings from their respective ride-hailing companies.
The riders reportedly said they charge passengers higher than the usual fare because of the high cost of gasoline and traffic congestion.
Poe said the “unscrupulous acts” by some riders are not fair to their fellow riders who eke out a living through honest and decent means, and to the riding public who are not supposed to dole out extra cash for the service.
“The holiday season must not become a travel nightmare for millions of our people,” she said. — With Raymond Africa
