MMDA bares traffic management plans for upcoming holiday season

MANILA: In anticipation of the congested traffic situation during the Christmas season, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) created traffic management measures with the support of concerned stakeholders.

According to MMDA Chairman Romando Artes, the remedial measures — which earned the unanimous support of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), shopping mall operators, water, electricity, and telecommunications companies — will be implemented as vehicle volume in the National Capital Region (NCR) grows during the holidays.

According to the data from the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center, there are 421,000 vehicles traversing Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) everyday as of September 24.

Here are the MMDA’s traffic-alleviating procedures that will be conducted in time for the holiday season:

• Temporary interruption of all road right-of-way excavation activities in Metro Manila

Effective 12 a.m. of November 18 up to midnight of Christmas Day, the aforementioned suspension will include road reblocking works, pipe-laying, road upgrading and other excavation works that may hinder or disrupt the smooth flow of traffic.

Per MMDA, the said moratorium will exempt the government's flagship projects, DPWH bridge repair and construction, flood interceptor catchment projects, emergency leak repair, among others.

• Shopping mall operators to submit traffic management plans

Mall operators must submit their plans to mitigate traffic for scheduled promotional events at least two weeks before the scheduled programs.

• Shopping mall operators in Metro Manila to start operations by 11 a.m.

From November 18-December 25, mall operators will have to open an hour late from the usual 10 a.m. while its closing will depend on the commercial establishments’ preference.

“But we encourage them to extend to give the public more time to do their errands and last-minute shopping,” Artes shared.

A total of 131 malls can be found in NCR alone, 29 of which can be found along EDSA.

• Prohibition of mall-wide sales

However, MMDA clarified that sale on certain stores or outlets inside the mall may be allowed even on weekdays provided that no announcement, advertisement or tarpaulin of the same are posted.

• Deliveries of goods to be allowed during nighttime

The agency said that except for perishable goods such as food and ice, all deliveries must be done from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day.

In addition, Artes said the MMDA will ask the Department of Transportation to prolong the public transport system's operating hours — especially the EDSA Bus Carousel, Light Rail Transit and Metro Manila Railway Transit, to accommodate late-night commuters and mall employees.

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