Vehicular volume up by 15K cars daily – MMDA

VEHICULAR traffic increases by up to 15,000 cars daily during rush hour, even on weekends, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Monday, warning motorists that the situation will worsen in the days leading to Christmas break.

«Traffic used to be light on Saturdays and Sundays, but now, even on weekends, traffic is very heavy, mainly because people flock to malls during those days,» Victor Nuñez, director of the MMDA Traffic Enforcement Group, said in a public briefing on Monday.

Vehicular traffic is more pronounced in Metro Manila's major thoroughfares, such as EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) and the Circumferential Road 5 (C-5) that connects the cities of Las Piñas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon, Taguig and Valenzuela.

Nuñez observed that traffic flow is smooth in the morning, but the volume of vehicles increases in the afternoon.

As major thoroughfares get clogged during the afternoon rush hour with the increase in the volume of vehicles, streets that have been designated as alternate routes are affected, particularly those identified as Mabuhay Lanes for private vehicles.

«This is the reason why our Strike Force operates every day, even in the afternoons, to clear the Mabuhay lanes and keep alternate routes free from obstruction,» said Nuñez.

Nuñez also said that a monitoring team coordinates with the Department of the Interior and Local Government to ensure that alternate routes are free from obstruction.

Further, the MMDA said they expect an increase in traffic volume as people head to their hometowns for the holidays.

This «exodus» is expected to start on December 22, the last working day before Christmas Day.

Data from the MMDA shows slow-moving lanes, particularly on EDSA, with average speed dropping to 16 to 20 kilometers per hour and is expected to plummet further as the holiday rush intensifies.

Proposals to regulate the sale of private vehicles as one way to address traffic congestion are under the discretion of the legislature and the Department of Transportation, Nuñez pointed out.

«Controlling and limiting the number of vehicles is not part of the mandate of the MMDA,» he said, noting that in other countries, vehicles that