SEVERAL presidents before Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have had both the opportunity and responsibility of untangling the Gordian knot that is the traffic gridlock in Metro Manila especially, but they failed. Now, halfway into his term, Bongbong Marcos is seriously trying to grapple with the traffic problem.
The Chief Executive has two potentially promising solutions but make no mistake about it, these measures are not new, they had been tried before.
Marcos wants to decongest the National Capital Region by moving commercial, government, and institutional establishments to nearby provinces such as Laguna and Cavite in the south, and Bulacan and Pampanga in the north. Then again, the President wants to restore order in the streets by instilling discipline among road users — motorists, pedestrians, and even traffic enforcers and traffic policemen. He also wants government officials and employees to take the lead in observing traffic rules, which means shedding their long-held sense of entitlement in the road.
‘There is still a lot of work ahead of us in improving our traffic situation, but there is no alternative but to try.’
President Bongbong took to social media in clarifying his thoughts on how to solve the traffic problem. He said other measures intended to solve the traffic problem, especially in Metro Manila, would be useless without discipline.
“Abusing and ignoring traffic laws is not a privilege included in the oath of a public servant.
The government and all its agencies will take the lead in being disciplined on the road,” Marcos said in his vlog. He added that apart from following traffic rules, being respectful and courteous in the streets is also important.
At a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang last week, the President and department secretaries discussed the worsening traffic situation which is most felt in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and other urban centers. The Chief Executive made it clear he wants a comprehensive and holistic approach to solving the problem.
Hand in hand with a renewed thrust to develop provinces near Metro Manila, the President said construction of new bridges, roads and highways, expanding train systems, and building of subways are among ongoing projects. He urged the public to be more patient and understanding as these projects, while in the construction phase, will also add to the traffic congestion.
We note that one good thing about the nation’s experience with the COVID-19 pandemic is that the government and the private sector realized the utility of work-from-home arrangements. Work schedules can also be tweaked, such as the adoption of a four-day work week, and adjusting working hours to avoid rush hours.
Government agencies directly involved in traffic and daily users of the road network should also be consulted on what to do, and measures that are legal and useful should be adopted and encouraged. For instance, contractors who fail to finish their road projects on time should be fined or sanctioned, such as when the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) imposed a total fine of P1.2 million on two contractors tapped by a telecom firm to install underground fiber optic cables along EDSA.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes reported that the two contractors left 24 out of 40 diggings on EDSA from West Avenue in Quezon City to Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong City, creating traffic jams. They did not finish their road works which were supposed to be done from March 27 to April 1, and caused heavy vehicular traffic at portions of EDSA where the diggings were left open or still had freshly poured concrete, according to the MMDA.
Local government units can also help by limiting the number of tricycles operating in their jurisdictions, and monitoring compliance with Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos’ directive on tricycle routes, particularly a ban on their presence in national highways.
There is still a lot of work ahead of us in improving our traffic situation, but there is no alternative but to try.
