When radio and TV programs start telling us every day how many sleeps to go before the Nativity, millions of Metro Manila residents also start expecting traffic to grow heavier as Christmas day draws nearer. For many, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. For others living in the metropolis, however, the yuletide season can also be the most stressful. That’s because traffic volume on major roads swells to the limit during the holidays. In December we expect an influx of people and cars from nearby provinces going to Metro Manila to shop, or to attend gatherings, parties and reunions.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Danilo D. Lim said the big malls and other commercial establishments in the metropolis are traffic generators during the holidays, so there is a need to come up with effective and sustainable measures to provide convenience to the public.
Citing the case of Edsa, the most congested highway in Metro Manila, Lim said the monstrous traffic along this road gets worse during the holidays because there are 36 malls and other big commercial establishments attracting huge numbers of shoppers. For the coming Christmas holidays, Lim told a recent BusinessMirror Coffee Club Forum he will ask the help of mall owners and operators to help in the implementation of traffic-mitigation measures throughout the holiday season. For example, mall owners can lessen the queuing of vehicles of customers by assigning more people to manage the flow of traffic. In addition, mall owners can help reduce traffic by conducting sales during weekends only, starting, say, at 12:01 a.m.
As part of a long-term solution to solve the heavy traffic situation in the metropolis, Lim intends to propose to Metro Manila mayors the adoption of the expanded number-coding scheme, a plan he earlier abandoned after receiving numerous adverse reactions. The proposal entails a two-day number-coding scheme, instead of the existing one-day coding system.
It can be recalled that Lim floated the idea of an expanded number-coding scheme way back in June, but public-transport groups and motorists rejected the proposal. The MMDA chief said he floated the idea to get the reaction and sentiments of motorists. “Since then, we have not talked about this in the Metro Mayors Council meeting.” However, he decided to revive the proposal because “Rep. Danilo E. Suarez [of the Third District of Quezon] brought that up during our budget hearing, and I committed to him that I will bring it up to the council meeting.”
Recalling how the expanded number-coding scheme was publicly rejected, Lim appealed to motorists in Metro Manila to make a little sacrifice: “We complain [about the traffic], but when we make a move to reduce the number of vehicles to ease up traffic, we don’t want to make that sacrifice.”
For the MMDA chief, part of the solution in solving Metro Manila’s traffic gridlock involves going back to basics. Lim said: “When I said basic, it means basic implementation of traffic rules and regulations.” That goes for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. In other words, motorists must follow traffic rules and pedestrians should not cross the road where it’s not safe.
As the Christmas countdown continues, let’s remind ourselves that we can help ease up Metro Manila’s holiday traffic just by realizing and accepting the necessity of discipline. Of course, we’re all in a hurry. But that’s not a good excuse to violate traffic rules. We must obey traffic rules and regulations.