Sotto: ‘One-way Edsa’ proposal ‘might be worth a try’

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday expressed openness to the proposal to turn Edsa into a one-way southbound road.

“It might be worth the try. Almost all roads in Singapore are one way. All traffic go circular,” Sotto told reporters in a text message.

An engineering consulting company, GPI Engineers Inc., proposed that Edsa be turned into a southbound highway while opening the C5 Road (C.P. Garcia, Katipunan, Tandang Sora) into a one-way northbound road.

READ: ‘Extreme’ proposal: Make Edsa one-way, southbound

However, a transport group lambasted the proposal, describing it as “ridiculous and is not well thought of.”

The Passenger Forum (TPF) convenor Primo Morillo said that while the proposal “may increase vehicular speed” along the two roads, it “might lengthen travel time.”

“While this proposal may increase vehicular speed along the two major metro highways, it does not shorten and might even lengthen travel time. This is because of the ludicrously long reroutes that the proposal entails,” he said in a statement.

Other problematic areas in the proposal include the volume of large trucks plying C5 that will have to use Edsa, the extra costs it will require regular commuters due to additional rides, and the congestion of side streets due to long rerouting schemes, Morillo added.

Morillo appealed that public consultation be conducted so as to hear the side of road users on the proposal.

“There should always be room for the government to hear the side of the road users—the commuters, pedestrians and drivers,” Morillo said.

“There is no alternative to the necessary consultation with affected sectors and we’re hoping the concerned government agencies deem this as a requirement,” he added. /muf