NEWS

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

Instead of persistently seeking the grant of emergency powers from lawmakers, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) could rationalize and optimize existing transport networks and facilities to solve the chronic traffic in Metro Manila.

This is the view aired by commuter rights group The Passenger Forum (TPF) Convenor Primo Morillo. The solution to the clogged arteries of the Metropolis lies in sound planning and implementation of traffic management and infrastructure development initiatives, he added.

For instance, he said, the government could consider implementing the suggestions of urban planning experts, commuter groups and citizen mobility advocates, who pitched traffic solutions that do not require emergency powers.

Morillo cited his group’s proposal to maximize the use of the Pasig River Ferry Service among the solutions submitted to the government 10 days ago.

“The Pasig River crosses populous and busy areas of Metro Manila and it is an existing resource that we can maximize for public transportation. Based on the information we gathered, the Pasig River Ferry Service is in operation albeit in a limited capacity,” he said.

Morillo added that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) can tap the help of “credible transportation companies” to bankroll the expansion of water buses along the Pasig River.

“Providing additional water buses and ensuring better passenger experience in the Pasig River will provide a viable alternative form of mobility for commuters and may help ease traffic,” he said. Morillo added that another proposal the government may consider is the rationalization of road works. “It is common knowledge that road works are among the culprits in the worsening traffic condition in Metro Manila. There must something that can be done to ensure that roads are excavated only when truly necessary,” he said.

Scheduling, Morillo explained, should be taken into consideration to regulate road constructions.

“There are times that a street will go through digging and is reconstructed in a week, and then will have to be drilled again after a few days. Coordination between the government and the private sector will ensure that we maximize each roadwork schedule,” he said.

Poe’s objection

Sen. Grace Poe earlier this week reiterated her doubt in the effectiveness of the grant of emergency powers to President Duterte in solving the traffic mess in the Philippines.

And while she is open to granting the said powers to the Executive department, she said the DOTr has to come up with a detailed list of projects that could be fast-tracked by the emergency powers. Poe, who claimed that the current situation can be remedied by existing laws, regulations, and programs, also said Tugade should be replaced due to his supposed inability to solve traffic congestion.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said his group submitted a draft bill in 2016, listing the projects to be directly affected by emergency powers. In a statement on Thursday, the agency listed its completed and ongoing initiatives in trying to solve the bottlenecks in airports, seaports, roads, and railways, among others.

Source: Business Mirror