Five-year action plan against Metro traffic sought

MANILA: Recently, representatives from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), 17 Metro Manila local governments, and national organizations in charge of controlling traffic in the city, agreed to cooperate in order to carry out a five-year action plan to reduce congestion in Metro Manila.

The most recent meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee for the "Project for Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for Metro Manila," sponsored by JICA, was attended by MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Romando Artes. According to him, the abundance of economic options in Metro Manila have attracted an increasing number of tourists, which has increased traffic congestion.

"As the project ends, the next step is to implement the plan. Continuous coordination, role-sharing, funding, monitoring, and evaluation—these are critical matters that must be addressed," Artes stated.

Twelve solutions are included in the authorized action plan to address Metro Manila's traffic management problems, the most important of which is to finish addressing the 42 traffic bottlenecks that the CTMP Project has identified as well as the signal systems.

The methods that traffic management agencies need to implement right away include enhancing the intelligent transportation system (ITS), strengthening traffic laws, enforcement, and road safety, promoting active transportation, and developing a thorough traffic management database.

The action plan also urges enhancing the transportation system in Metro Manila, developing comprehensive traffic management plans by LGUs, and improving the MMDA's traffic planning capabilities and coordination with and among associated institutions.

Former MMDA Acting General Manager, Engr. Baltazar Melgar, stressed that “a concerted action is needed to address the traffic problem, which requires involvement, participation, and dedication.” Together with the 12 strategies are 10 projects which are expected to achieve the action plan’s overall vision of inclusive and people-oriented mobility.

Procopio Lipana, a retired police colonel, has been named the new general manager of the MMDA, and Frisco San Juan Jr. has been named the organization's deputy chairman by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. 

Meanwhile, Takema Sakamoto, JICA Philippines’s Chief Representative, expressed the organization’s commitment to support the Philippine government’s efforts in addressing traffic congestion by offering to share Japan’s experiences in traffic management, particularly in ITS, and in private-public partnerships.

"No one can resolve the chronic traffic jam in Metro Manila alone, but if we all work together, we are optimistic that there is hope for improving the traffic situation. If we strongly bond together, we can achieve continuous economic growth and attain the quality of life for every Filipino," Sakamoto added.

After the meeting, a workshop was held to talk about each agency's commitment and their suggestions on how to carry out the action plan.

Photos from Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)

Also read: New LTO chief aims to combat corruption through technology