Mitsubishi chief drives into traffic, offers solutions

MANILA, Philippines -  Even the big boss of a globally-renowned car brand did not escape the wrath of Metro Manila’s traffic congestion.

Osamu Masuko, president and chief executive officer of Japanese automotive giant Mitsubishi Motors Corp., got a firsthand taste of Metro Manila’s traffic gridlock during his visit Monday for the presentation of the first Philippine manufactured Mirage G4 to President Duterte.

Masuko met Duterte in the afternoon and went straight to the Makati Shangri-La Hotel for a press conference.

“It was really very traffic going here,” he said through an interpreter.

The Japanese executive, however, was not surprised with the situation.

“Concerning the traffic congestion, all countries with economic growth experiences this. In Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, it used to be. But I’m sure this issue can be solved,” Masuko said.

“We know there’s a traffic congestion in Manila. The mass transport and the automotive industry should be viewed as a set,” he added.

Masuko said traffic congestion is not good “mentally” for the people and also has an economic impact.

“It has to be overcome,” he said.

“Recognizing the country’s traffic problem, Masuko said Mitsubishi is looking to help in coming up with possible solutions.

“We would like to do a joint study with the government and make proposals like what kind of vehicles should we manufacture in the Philippines. We would like to produce different cars for different markets such as Indonesia, Thailand, London,” he said.

“With a combination of solutions we are able to solve this issue. The government of Japan wants to contribute. We also want to contribute,” Masuko added.

Manila ranked 10th on a list of cities with the worst traffic in the world, according to Numbeo’s study released in October last year. Numbeo is a website that collates global information on cost of living, crime rate and pollution.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has likewise reported traffic in the Philippines cost P2.4 billion daily to the economy.

By 2030, JICA warned the Philippines would lose P6 billion daily due to traffic.