While she welcomed the suspension of the Metro Manila Council’s (MMC) high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic scheme, Senator Grace Poe has advised the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to “think hard” on its policies and conduct public consultations first to prevent “misses” in its campaigns.
“The MMDA should think hard, so there will be more ‘hits’ than ‘misses’ in its campaigns,” the senator said in a statement on Friday.
Poe made the remark after the MMDA temporarily suspended the HOV traffic scheme’s full implementation on Aug. 23. The scheme bans driver-only cars in Edsa during rush hours.
READ: HOV scheme’s full implementation on Edsa suspended for now
Poe stressed that it is time for the MMDA to go back to the drawing board to solve the country’s traffic woes.
“Policies should always be practical, implementable and in line with public interest,” she added, as she emphasized strict the need for strict implementation of existing traffic laws.
“Probably, we don’t need new policies, just strict implementation of existing laws and regulations. Mag public consultation muna kayo,” the senator said.
The MMDA earlier launched a dry run of the scheme which banned driver-only cars along Edsa – from the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City all the way to the Magallanes interchange in Makati City from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Many lawmakers have opposed this scheme, with senators signing a resolution to halt its implementation. /muf