Senators cool to DOTr plan to revive Edsa motorcycle lane

NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines — Some senators appeared lukewarm to the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) plan to put up an exclusive lane for motorcycles on Edsa to ease heavy traffic on Metro Manila’s busiest major thoroughfare.

Sen. Nancy Binay said that providing dedicated lanes was only a temporary solution and would not fully address worsening traffic in the National Capital Region.

“First of all, let us clarify that the perspective and mindset of DOTr should be to maximize opportunities and solutions for mass transport. The reason why such alternative rides exist is because our public infrastructures fail to address urban mobility challenges—it’s always palliative and short-term [solutions],” she said in a statement.

READ: Gov’t eyes Edsa motorcycle lane to address traffic woes

“I hope we do not dwell on policies that would divert from mass transit solutions,” she added.

Binay urged the DOTr to “shift its focus toward efficient, safe and comfortable mass transportation experience, start building robust mass transportation networks, and prioritize investments in efficient public transit systems like buses, BRTs (bus rapid transits) and trains.”

Maximize MRT, bus lanes

“We have not yet maximized the full potential of the MRT (Metro Rail Transit) and bus lanes, but we now want to allocate a single passenger alternative. Don’t we still lack running train coaches and buses and trains remain crowded?” Binay said.

Sen. Grace Poe said that while the intention to decongest Edsa was understandable, she was curious about how the DOTr would carve out a dedicated lane considering the limited road space on Edsa.

“This experiment has been implemented in various forms by the MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority) in the past. They instituted a non-exclusive lane on Edsa and, more recently, an exclusive one on Commonwealth Avenue which is the largest highway in Metro Manila,” noted the chair of the Senate committee on public services.

Poe said the findings from these experiments should be taken into account by the DOTr.

“Are they intending to share it with bike lanes? Should it be standardized across all highways? The varying placements of motorcycle lanes can be confusing to motorists who traverse multiple highways daily,” she said.

She added that these were just some of the concerns that must be addressed with actual data and not just mere experiments “that can cause further confusion in our already chaotic roads.”

“It also highlights the need for an independent fact-based agency like the National Transportation Safety Board, which should be able to cull data and institute standards for the designation of motorcycle lanes,” Poe said.

Sen. Francis Escudero shared Poe’s sentiment that the MMDA’s proposal was nothing new.

“They already tried that… remember the blue lane in the middle for motorcycles… did it work?” he asked.

While he acknowledged the DOTr’s efforts to continuously look for solutions to the traffic problem, he urged the agency to do simulations first.