MMDA tosses HOV dilemma

SAP Bong Go says MMDA is seeking palace guidance on traffic woes. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

Dry-run to continue, full implementation suspended

The EDSA scheme has caused traffic jams on alternative roads.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) decided yesterday to suspend the scheduled 23 August full implementation of the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) scheme on EDSA pending a decision by the Metro Manila Council (MMC).

The ban on driver only-vehicle in the 23.8-kilometer avenue during rush hour will continue to be on a dry-run, though, until the council comes up with a decision, MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said.

Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said the MMDA is willing to amend the scheme after receiving mixed reactions, mostly negative, from the public.

Go said MMDA has asked for a meeting with Malacañang to discuss measures on how to ease heavy traffic in Metro Manila said to lead to billions of pesos in economic losses each year.

While the HOV may have made traffic along EDSA move faster, many motorists and commuters have complained that it had resulted in horrendous traffic jams on side roads being used as alternative routes like C5.

“Until we convene, the dry-run will continue, only the dry-run,” Garcia said, adding MMDA will meet on 23 or 24 of August with the 17 Metro Manila mayors who compose the MMC.

MMC sets the policies which the MMDA implements.

During the dry-run, drivers of single-occupancy vehicles are merely admonished by traffic enforcers. When fully implemented without revision, MMDA will start issuing traffic violation tickets to HOV scheme violators.

Named after Epifanio de los Santos, EDSA has its northern end in Monumento in Grace Park, Caloocan City and its southern end at the SM Mall of Asia Rotonda in Pasay City.

A number of senators have called for the scrapping of the traffic scheme with Garcia saying the MMDA noted the position aired by lawmakers.

Echoing Go, Garcia said the MMDA is willing to revise the guidelines for the order, adding in Filipino “it is not our intention to cause hardships to the public.”

“We are doing this because we are waiting for the long-term solution,” he said.

According to Go, MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim assured him that the feedback from the public on the HOV scheme will be reviewed by MMC.

Go said he expects members of the MMC to arrive at an acceptable decision on the HOV since they know the situation on EDSA.

He appealed to the public to give the scheme a chance.

“If it will help solve the traffic problem in Metro Manila then it is okay. That is why we’re having a dry-run,” he said.

“We’ll see first if it will really help, if it would ease traffic. If not, then we can improve it,” he added in the vernacular.

Meanwhile Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon lauded the MMDA for doing the right thing in suspending the HOV scheme along EDSA.

“That’s good,” said Sotto after hearing the suspension by MMDA, adding “they should first address the parking issues in Metro Manila.”

For his part, Drilon said “I fully support and laud the decision of the MMDA to suspend the implementation of the ‘driver-only’ car scheme on EDSA. It is the right and proper thing to do.”

Earlier in the day, the Senate adopted Resolution 845, urging the MMDA to stop imposing the new traffic scheme due to lack of public consultations and forwarded it to MMDA.