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| PIA-NCR file photo |
By: Jimmyley Guzman
QUEZON CITY (PIA) — With the Christmas season just around the corner, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Friday revealed early on its traffic mitigating measures to alleviate expected vehicular congestion in the metropolis.
“The Christmas season brings with it a 10 to 25 percent increase in vehicular volume on Metro Manila roads. By implementing these effective measures, we aim to provide a more manageable traffic flow for the holidays,” said MMDA Chairperson Atty. Don Artes during last Friday’s consultative meeting with various stakeholders.
Artes gained the unanimous support of representatives of shopping mall management and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), water, electricity, and telecommunications companies, when he laid down the agency’s comprehensive traffic-alleviating measures:
- Shopping mall operators shall submit their respective traffic management plans to the MMDA for their respective mall sales and promotional events two weeks before the scheduled dates of such events.
- Deliveries by shopping mall operators shall be conducted only during nighttime from 11 pm to 5 am the next day on weekdays except for perishable goods such as food and ice.
- Mall-wide sale shall only be allowed on weekends. However, sales in certain stores or outlets inside the mall may only be allowed even on weekdays, provided that no announcement, advertisement, or tarpaulins of the same are made.
- Shopping malls shall adjust their operating hours from 11 am to 11 pm during weekdays.
- Temporary suspension of excavation activities on all national and city roads in Metro Manila. All road right-of-way excavation activities in Metro Manila, which include road reblocking works, pipe-laying, road upgrading, and other excavation works that may hinder or disrupt the smooth flow of traffic. Exempted from the moratorium are flagship projects of the government, DPWH bridge repair and construction, flood interceptor catchment projects, emergency leak repair, and others
According to Artes, these measures have been effective in managing increased vehicular volume during the holiday season when people flock to shopping malls in Metro Manila for shopping and leisure.
These measures are set to take effect on November 17 and will run until December 25.
Moreover, provincial buses are allowed to ply EDSA between 10 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. starting December 20; while on December 24 until January 2, provincial buses are allowed on EDSA around-the-clock (24 hours) for a faster turnaround time, and to accommodate more passengers.
MMDA added that during the said period, provincial buses coming from the north shall terminate their trips in Cubao, Quezon City, while those coming from the south shall terminate their trips in Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange or in Pasay City.
Meanwhile, the MMDA chief said night-shift duty of traffic enforcers along major thoroughfares in Metro Manila will be extended until midnight beginning November 17.
Further, the MMDA will coordinate with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and transport groups to extend the public transport system’s operating hours, especially the EDSA Bus Carousel, LRT, and MRT, and the operation of public utility vehicles to accommodate late-night commuters and mall employees.
The MMDA will also intensify its No Contact Apprehension Policy and clearing operations to improve traffic discipline. (JEG/PIA-NCR)
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