MMDA: Traffic woes require lifestyle change for Metro folk

MANILA, Philippines – With the construction of Skyway Stage 3 and several other major infrastructure projects in Metro Manila getting under way, a lifestyle change may be in order for the millions of motorists and commuters who will be enduring heavy traffic due to the roadworks in the next two years.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Francis Tolentino on Friday asked the riding public to adopt what he called the “Roadways Construction Lifestyle Adjustment.”

Tolentino said Metro Manila residents should consider limiting their trips to within their respective localities to minimize vehicular and pedestrian volume on the roads.

“If you’re a Pasay City resident, don’t go to Quezon City just to watch movies. We should plan our trips ahead so as not to contribute to traffic congestion and also for our own convenience,” Tolentino said in a statement.

Tolentino also suggested that private companies, especially those along the route of construction projects, implement “flexitime” working hours for their employees.

“This is a construction of massive proportions that would last 32 months,” he said, referring to Skyway Stage 3 project whose groundbreaking rites were held Wednesday. “Building this alternative highway is expected to create traffic problems so everyone should make adjustments.”

Appealing for “patience and understanding,” Tolentino stressed that the MMDA would lead a traffic summit on the first week of February to draft a comprehensive traffic management plan for the entire metropolis.