MMDA official: No need for a traffic czar

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Undersecretary Procopio Lipana believes there is no need to appoint a traffic czar to oversee the traffic situation in the metro. In a radio interview on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, the MMDA official said: “Our main problem, as we all know, is our infrastructure.” INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — No traffic czar is needed to oversee the traffic situation in Metro Manila, an official from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said Wednesday.

MMDA Undersecretary Procopio Lipana explained that transportation agencies continuously conduct studies to alleviate the never-ending traffic problem in Metro Manila.

“I think there’s no need to do that [to appoint a traffic czar],” Lipana said in an interview over a Radyo 630.

“Tuloy-tuloy naman ang ginagawa ng gobyerno,although talagang may problema sa ating daloy ng trapiko. Ang pangunahin naman nating problema niyan, alam naman natin, [ay] ‘yung ating infrastructures. Talagang may kakulangan kung ihahambing natin sa dami ng sasakyan,” he added.

(The government’s efforts are continuous, although there are indeed problems with our traffic flow. Our main problem, as we all know, is our infrastructure. When we compare it to the number of vehicles, there is indeed a shortage.)

READ: Manila currently holds the ‘world’s worst traffic in metro area’ title

Lipana believed that commuters may expect ease in their daily commute once the country’s major public transit projects are completed.

In the meantime, he noted, traffic law enforcement personnel would continuously watch over the Edsa busway to avoid inconveniences for commuters.

The MMDA will also coordinate with local government units and instruct them to monitor their respective inner roads, Lipana added.

The Management Association of the Philippines earlier suggested the designation of a czar to oversee the “traffic crisis” in the country’s capital region.