MMDA urges Edsa mall owners to manage internal traffic well

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday urged owners of malls situated along the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) to manage traffic within their facilities better to help ease heavy traffic along the major thoroughfare.

MMDA traffic operations chief Edison “Bong” Nebrija said mall owners should take this step so that traffic within the establishments will not “spill over” to Edsa.

“Ang pakiusap namin sa kanila is to traffic their facility well, ‘yung to manage the traffic in their facility well, kasi whatever ‘yung stuck in traffic sa loob spills over in Edsa,” he said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer.

(Our plea is for them to manage the traffic in their facility well, because whatever is stuck in traffic inside spills over in Edsa.)

“Ang sinasabi namin sa kanila, magdagdag kayo ng security para ‘yung security check niyo mapabilis, ‘yung pagsusulat ng ticket dapat automated na, ibig sabihin pagdaan mo doon, card na lang kukunin mo aalis ka na,” he also said.

(We told them to have additional security personnel so that their security check will be faster. Ticket issuing should also be automated, so that you will just have to get the card and then you can go.)

According to Nebrija, part of the efforts to help ease traffic along Edsa for the holiday season is the MMDA’s call for malls to open and close later than normal mall hours.

He said some malls have started adjusting operating hours as early as Monday, with some malls opening at 11 a.m.