5 minutes from Cubao to Makati doable through ‘truly fast’ lane

FINDING A SOLUTION Government officials have been meeting regularly to solve congestion on Edsa. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — How do you get from Cubao, Quezon City, to Makati City through Edsa in five minutes? Create a “truly fast” lane.

Brig. Gen. Roberto Fajardo, Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) director, said on Monday that different government agencies were meeting regularly to make the President’s promise a reality.

Among the proposals to decongest Edsa traffic was to move the motorcycle lane beside the two bus lanes. Ironically, Fajardo revealed the plan during a motorcycle safety event in which the PNP-HPG and Angkas Philippines signed a deed of donation for 50 motorcycle helmets.

“If you notice, the motorcycle lane is on the fast lane. We will move that into the third lane. It would be beside the two bus lanes,” he said.

Moving the motorcycle lane would make the “fast lane… truly fast. The motorcycles would not need to take away space and constantly dodge fast-moving cars,” Fajardo added.

He maintained that the five-minute travel time was doable if traffic laws were strictly enforced, adding: “We will do our best [to comply with Mr. Duterte’s directive] .”

“If the President says it, we will do it. It’s that simple. How we’ll do it? [That’s a] secret,” he said.