MANILA, Philippines—The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is open to the possibility of reopening the U-turn slots on Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, according to an official. The decision, however, will depend on how heavy traffic is Monday morning on the thoroughfare.

“We’ll base our decision on how heavy traffic will be starting at 6 a.m. on Monday,” Roberto Esquivel, head of the MMDA traffic enforcement unit, said Sunday.

He added that MMDA traffic personnel would be deployed in the area, particularly in front of the campuses of Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College, to monitor the flow of vehicles.

“If it’s still heavy like last week, then we may reopen the U-turn slots. Otherwise, they will remain closed,” he said in a phone interview.

Motorists, most of them parents of students, have assailed the MMDA for the rerouting scheme, which they claimed had turned the area into a cause for road rage because of traffic gridlock.

But Esquivel said he still believes that the decision to reroute traffic on Katipunan Avenue benefited more commuters.

He repeated an earlier statement that most of the complaints were coming from homeowners in subdivisions like Xavierville and La Vista and not regular motorists, and that traffic, especially on the southbound lane, had actually sped up significantly.

Esquivel said residents in subdivisions in the area should realize that Katipunan Avenue is a national road and thus, subject to MMDA traffic rules.

MMDA Traffic Operations Center director Angelito Vergel De Dios earlier said the agency would study the complaints thoroughly and make its decision accordingly.

“If we have to abandon the scheme completely, we’ll do so. We’re here to improve traffic, not to worsen the situation,” he had said.