I-ACT Chair Tim Orbos. INQUIRER FILE
The Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) is urging local government units to clear roads and sidewalks around cemeteries of obstructions in anticipation of the high vehicle volume during the ‘Undas’ season.
I-ACT Chair Tim Orbos urged on Tuesday local traffic divisions to prepare a more efficient traffic management system to address parking and traffic issues during the long weekend.
“Kailangang tayo sa gobyerno ay gumawa ng paraan upang maibsan ang mabigat na daloy ng trapiko. Taun-taon na lang ‘yan nararanasan ng mga Pilipino,” Orbos said in a statement.
(We in government should find ways to ease traffic. Every year, Filipinos bear the experience.)
“Undas is all about people, not motorists, flocking to cemeteries to be with their departed loved ones. Therefore, our actions should be directed in bringing utmost safety and comfort to them,” he added.
Orbos also encouraged Filipinos to use fewer cars and to maximize the use of high-occupancy vehicles (HOV) that can ferry more people.
This year, Undas – which groups All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls Day on Nov. 2 – falls on a Thursday and Friday, resulting in a long weekend for Filipinos. Heavy traffic is expected along roads leading to cemeteries.
The I-ACT said that during the Undas week, it would deploy teams to manage traffic around major cemeteries in Metro Manila. /cbb