Makati tackles traffic, transport solutions on Oct. 3

The Makati City government will hold a traffic and transport summit on Oct. 3 at city hall as part of its efforts to come up with a new transport and traffic plan.

Representatives from various groups and agencies are expected to participate and contribute to the event dubbed “Makati Transport and Traffic Summit 2013,” the first big meeting on the city’s traffic-related concerns since 2004.

In a statement, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. described the new traffic plan as a crucial component in establishing sustainable transportation which was “indispensable to promoting the city’s competitiveness and sustaining its growth and development.”

“The volume of traffic has increased much along with the increase in business establishments, tourists, shoppers and transients in the city.  We have to address this unprecedented increase in traffic to ease congestion, and make travel and doing business in the city more convenient for investors and visitors,” Binay said.

He added that the city government also needed to align its transport and traffic plan with the recently enacted Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance 2013-2023, which called for the expansion of the central business district.

The Makati Transport and Traffic Summit 2013 is the next step after the 2004 Transport and Traffic Conference that resulted in the drafting of the Makati City Traffic Improvement Plan (MCTRIP) 2004-2010.

The MCTRIP served as the city government’s guide in the implementation of projects, and management of traffic and transportation in the past years.

“This year’s transport and traffic summit will consider the changes in the environment and vehicular movement in the city since the 2004 conference took place, as well as the use of green technology in transportation to lessen the burden that human activities have brought upon the environment,” Binay said.

The summit program will include a review of the previous traffic plan as well as presentations on present and future transport-related projects of national agencies like the Departments of Public Works and Highways and Transportation and Communications, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Department of Energy with Asian Development Bank, among others, for Metro Manila and local transport-related initiatives as well as those from the private sector, development partners and civil society.