MMDA extends truck lane policy on C-5, Katipunan

Trucks lined up on the innermost lane — like this one taken along Roxas Boulevard — will remain a feature of C-5 and Katipunan Avenue until January 2016. INQUIRER FILE

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) extended for another six months the implementation of the one-truck lane policy along C-5 and the Katipunan Avenue, due to the improvement of traffic along these roads.

The Special Traffic Committee of the Metro Manila Council, which is the policy making body of the MMDA, made the decision.

Under MMDA Resolution No. 2, Series of 2015, the committee recognized the success of the traffic scheme and its other positive effects and extended it from Aug. 1, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016.

Signed June 30

According to the agency, the resolution was signed last June 30 by the Special Traffic Committee headed by Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista and his members, Marikina City Mayor Del de Guzman, Las Piñas City Vice Mayor Luis Bustamante and Valenzuela City Councilor Lorena Borja.

The traffic scheme was initially implemented along the two roads from Sept. 1, 2014 to Jan. 31, 2015 to alleviate traffic congestion, which was mainly blamed on the number of trucks plying the thoroughfares. Its first six-month extension is set to end by July 31.

Earlier, MMDA Assistant General Manager Emerson Carlos said that they observed the success of the policy especially in terms of the traffic volume in the area and the reduction of vehicular accidents.

“Before the one-truck lane policy, there were 27 accidents daily but when the truck policy was implemented, the number of accidents was reduced to a single digit,” Carlos explained, adding that the extension was primarily aimed at preventing accidents and lessening traffic congestion along the major thoroughfares.
 

Inner-most lane
Under the truck policy, cargo trucks with a gross weight of more than 4,500 kilos will only be allowed to use the roads’ inner-most lane every day (including Sundays and holidays) during the window period of the existing truck ban which is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Along with this, the MMDA also closed U-turn slots along C-5 and Katipunan except those located under flyovers and replaced them with signalized intersections. Violators will be fined P2,000 and the MMDA said that erring ones would be recommended for blacklisting.

After the implementation of the truck policy, Jericho Go, the senior vice president of real estate developer Megaworld Corporation, lauded the new traffic scheme, noting that the flow of vehicles going to Eastwood has “greatly improved,” resulting in greater productivity for the company.

“My travel time from Eastwood City to Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City used to be 1 hour and 10 minutes but because of the new MMDA traffic scheme, it is now down to 20 minutes,” Go said noting that this improvement has helped him complete more work in a day.

Reduced traffic on C-5

Aside from increased productivity for company employees who would travel daily from Eastwood to Fort Bonifacio to check and monitor their projects, Go said that clients and potential buyers have been able to check and tour their development projects in Libis and Taguig.

“Our clients are now willing to go to Eastwood because of the reduced travel time and lighter traffic along C-5,” Go added.

MMDA Road Safety Unit head Emilio Llavor explained that the travel time along the stretch of C-5 was reduced by 22 percent even during rush hours.