Government solving traffic woes — BBM
Marcos says his government is building more roads and railway systems
Daily TribuneMarcos says his government is building more roads and railway systems
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said over the weekend that his administration is building more roads and train lines to address the country's traffic congestion issue.
In his latest YouTube vlog, Marcos said he understands the public's frustration over the large volume of vehicles on the road most days, leading to snail-paced traffic flow and, consequently, lost productivity and person-hours.
The President spoke about the heavy vehicular traffic in reaction to one of the letters from Bahay Ugnayan, the Museum of the Road to Malacañang, which asked him to find a solution to traffic congestion.
"I understand that all of us don't want that traffic anymore," Marcos responded. "We will do everything. That's why we're putting up trains [and] building roads to reduce traffic and make things easier for all of you."
A World Bank study said traffic congestion is costing the Philippines an estimated P2.4 billion per day or more than P800 billion per year, the equivalent of around 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product at the time.
The cost of traffic congestion was arrived at by computing wasted time and productivity, increased fuel costs, increased air pollution, increased wear and tear on vehicles, and the impact on the health of Filipinos.
The World Bank also estimated that the cost of traffic congestion is expected to increase to around P1.1 trillion ($24 billion) per year by 2030 if no action is taken to address the problem.
The President reiterated his pledge in July when he signed a financing deal for the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, which is expected to connect 29 routes to the key business hubs in Davao City.
To alleviate traffic problems that impede national development, Marcos said his administration would make a concerted effort to upgrade the nation's public transportation system.
"I assure my fellow Filipinos that your government is working hard to improve the country's transportation systems, operations, and management for the benefit of present and future generations," he said.
The Marcos government is presently undertaking the North-South Commuter Railway, a 147-kilometer railway line connecting Metro Manila to the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, and Laguna; and the Central Luzon Expressway connecting the North Luzon Expressway to the Subic-Clark Expressway. Also in the pipeline is the Subic-Clark Railway Project connecting the Port of Subic and Clark International Airport.
The President responded to another letter from a Chinese student who thanked the Filipino people for their friendship and wished the President good health and all the best.
"Another person has fallen in love with the Philippines because Filipinos are truly amazing," Marcos said.
