‘Our hands are tied’: MMDA admits no new policy to ease Edsa traffic

CONGESTION Traffic builds up on Edsa as buses are restricted to the yellow lane. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has run out of new policies to implement for easing traffic congestion along Edsa, an official said Wednesday.

MMDA Edsa traffic head Bong Nebrija admitted that the agency’s “hands are tied” in implementing existing policies as all other policy proposals they made have been shut down.

MMDA’s High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) policy, which bans driver-only vehicles along Edsa, was stopped by a Senate resolution and the latest proposal, the provincial bus ban, was stopped by a restraining order.

“Our hands are tied in implementing only those policies that are already existing. There’s no new policy at hand,” Nebrija said in an interview over Radyo INQUIRER.

“So as of now, wala talaga eh. We are trying to manage Edsa as it is right now,” he added. 

He said the agency will have to “wait and see” if new policies will be proposed during the Metro Manila Council set on the last week of August.

Nebrija also said the agency is trying to revive the HOV policy but they have yet to see if it will get approved. New infrastructures, such as Skyway 3, are also currently being constructed to ease the traffic.

He also noted that the current road clearing operations being conducted by local governments could help in decongesting the traffic as cleared up inner roads could be used by motorists.

“Itong mga kalsada na ito can be used as alternate route, for example, yung traffic sa Edsa, padaalin natin sa looban, at least may madadaanan,” the MMDA official said.

However, as much as new policies and new infrastructure are helpful in easing the traffic, it will all be moot when there is no discipline among the motorists.

“All I’m trying to gain back on the road is order. Magkaroon naman tayo ng at least resemblance of orderliness on the road,” he said. 

“Marami tayong polisiya na parating, marami tayong mga public transport na parating. We even have a subway but all of this will be put to waste kung wala pa rin tayong disiplina,” Nebrija added. /je