MMDA: We cut travel by 3 minutes

For the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the first day of the dry run of the “no window hour” policy was a “relative success” since it reduced travel time on Edsa by three minutes.

“I think it is effective. We have reduced travel time [by] three minutes; we were only targeting five minutes,” MMDA General Manager Tim Orbos said on Thursday, referring to travel time from Roxas Boulevard to Monumento via Edsa.

According to Orbos, travel time on major roads was reduced after they started implementing the new traffic scheme on Wednesday. Right now, however, the MMDA said it was faced with another problem: Congestion on secondary roads.

A total of 1,211 motorists have been apprehended for violating the no window hour policy since Wednesday.

Under the traffic scheme, vehicles covered by the number coding scheme on a certain day will no longer be allowed to travel on Edsa, C5, Alabang-Zapote Road and Roxas Boulevard between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. They will only be allowed to pass through these roads before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

Orbos said they would be meeting with Metro mayors on Monday to address the traffic buildup on secondary roads.

Starting Oct. 17, the no window policy will be strictly implemented with violators facing a P300 fine. It will be enforced until Jan. 31 next year in anticipation of heavier traffic flow during the holiday season.