Gov’t assures public metro traffic will ease soon

Traffic at Commonwealth avenue east bound.-INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

With the projects of the government’s ambitious infrastructure program underway, the government assured Filipinos that traffic in Metro Manila will ease soon.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said Wednesday that some infrastructure projects will be finished within a year or two.

Motorists and commuters continue to suffer from worsening traffic caused by simultaneous public sector construction.

“Asahan niyo po na malapit na ang ginhawa. Karamihan ng ating projects ay matatapos po sa loob ng isa o dalawang taon,” Villar said at a press briefing in Malacañang.

(You can expect that comfort is coming. Many of our projects will be completed in a year or two years.)

Villar together with the chiefs of the Transportation and Labor departments were at the Palace to provide updates on the progress of ongoing projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration.

For his part, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade admitted that discomfort is a consequence of developing and improving infrastructure.

“When you develop and do improvements, meron consequence iyan—discomfort iyan. Hindi namin sasabihin walang discomfort,” Tugade told reporters.

“Pero ang discomfort na ito, panandalian until you complete the project, and then your comfort will be longer than the shorter discomfort caused by project construction,” he also said.

But Tugade pointed out that maintenance, control and regulation of traffic is a shared responsibility between the government and public.

“Maintaining, controlling and regulating traffic is a continuing thing,” Tugade said. “As we construct, as we develop, as we educate people, the riding public and the public has also an equal responsibility.”

“Discipline is also required on the road. Ibig kong sabihin, lahat ho ito, kabuuan. Hindi ko ho sinasabing wala tayong responsibilidad (sa gobyerno). Malaki po,” he said.  /kga