Solve traffic, motorists ask Duterte

A MOTORISTS’ rights group on Thursday urged the incoming Duterte administration to immediately flex its muscles in addressing the horrible traffic problem in the metropolis.

In a statement, the Road Users Protection Advocates (Rupa) said the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila was a “result of a confluence of mistakes from the past administrations.”

“We hope to see concrete steps in [ending] the nightmares in our roads,” Rupa said.

The group also asked President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to heed the recommendation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) to develop Sangley Point, Cavite, as the site of a modern $10-billion airport.

It described as a “first mistake” the location of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) “right in the center of the metropolis,” noting that the country’s premier air gateway has become “a magnet to traffic.”

“The international airport should be brought out of the city,” Rupa argued.

The group also lamented how the government had tolerated the uncontrolled increase in the number of brand-new vehicles sold by car companies.

“Every year, hundreds of thousands of cars join the millions now clogging our roads,” Rupa said.

It said the Duterte administration should “correct the errors in the mass transit program and send to jail those who made big money from these errors.”

“We believe that President-elect Duterte has the vision and political will to find a long-term solution to the traffic problem and the congestion in Naia,” Rupa said.

It said building a new air gateway to Metro Manila would help realize the incoming President’s economic agenda to entice more investments and create job opportunities.

“The public has been burdened by the airport congestion at Naia which the outgoing Aquino administration has miserably failed to address for the past six years,” Rupa said.

“Even big businesses have been complaining about the billions of pesos in losses due to the late and cancelled flights in Naia. The adverse effects of the airport problem would definitely be felt by the economy for years,” the group said.

Citing government records, Rupa said airline companies have been losing some P7 billion a year from additional fuel costs and engine maintenance due to the air congestion in Naia.