Speed up traffic crisis bill, foreign business chambers urge lawmakers

The Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) of the Philippines urged the Congress on Wednesday to expedite the passage of the Traffic and Congestion Crisis bill, amid the worsening congestion of major thoroughfares in the country brought about by the holiday season.

In a statement, the JFC has called on both chambers of Congress to complete the plenary consideration of the said legislation, noting that their respective committees have already completed their reports some months ago.

“… (A)nd their bills are in line to be discussed and approved in plenary. With the completion of the budget and the first tax reform package, the time to pass this important legislation is now,” the JFC said.

Citing recent studies by Uber and the Boston Consulting Group, the JFC said Bangkok, Jakarta, and Manila have the worst traffic in Asia, and that at current vehicle growth levels, Tier III cities, including Manila, are “at risk of reaching standstill levels of congestion (<10km/hour) during peak hours by 2022.”

“Thus, we urge Congress to complete its legislative procedures and approve the legislation on second and third readings at the earliest possible date, and recommend [it to] the

President [to] certify the measure as urgent,” the JFC added.

The JFC is a coalition of the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, Korean chambers and the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters, Inc.