Poe says driver-only car ban will take 'hellish' EDSA traffic to inner roads
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe on Wednesday said the "hellish" traffic on EDSA would just move to inner roads once the driver-only car ban is fully implemented.
"We will be just replicating the horrors of EDSA in all other roads. Aalisin mo nga sa EDSA, ililipat mo naman sa ibang mga kalsada na hindi pa naman handa," Poe said.
"This type of complaint does not just come from my committee but everybody who's affected by this...The MMDA didn't make sure that the inner city and barangay roads, as well as the main thoroughfares all around Metro Manila, aside from EDSA, can handle the affected motorists," she added.
On social media, many have complained of the worsened traffic situation on C5 on Wednesday, the first day of the dry-run of the scheme.
The same day, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 845 which called for the urgent suspension of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's policy for violating due process as no public consultation was held prior to its implementation. A copy of the resolution would be forwarded to the MMDA.
Poe had earlier urged the MMDA to avoid rushing into the implementation of the scheme, which was implemented to reduce the volume of vehicles on Metro Manila's major thoroughfare. The MMDA said 70 percent of vehicles that pass through EDSA are occupied by vehicles with only the driver on board.
Full implementation of the scheme that prohibits driver-only cars from traversing EDSA during rush hours—from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.—on weekdays will start on August 23.
Poe said she would schedule a public hearing on the resolution.
"Roads should be inclusive. How about parents who bring their children to school, especially single parents? What's going to happen when they come home and they have to stay in a particular area for another three hours just to finish the HOV-specified time?" Poe said.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia responded to this scenario and suggested that those who have dropped off a passenger and returning alone at the time that the scheme is running should take alternate routes.
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