MMDA policies on EDSA aggravated Pasig City traffic, says Vico Sotto

MANILA, Philippines — Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto said the city bore the brunt of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s “strategy” to ease traffic along EDSA.

In a Facebook post last Friday, Sotto said they have long been working on improving traffic management in Pasig.

“Pasig has a special set of challenges because many volume routes pass through the city (Quezon City to Makati; Rizal to Metro Manila),” he explained.

Sotto admitted that in the past few days, traffic in Pasig City worsened.

READ: MMDA enforces yellow lane policy; traffic worsens

“In recent days, we have had to deal with even more challenges. Most notably, the efforts of the MMDA along the EDSA have greatly increased vehicle volume in C5 and even the interior roads of Pasig,” the Pasig City mayor said.

Last week, the MMDA started to implement the yellow bus lane policy which would limit buses to using only two of the outermost lanes.

But the policy inadvertently worsened the traffic.

RELATED: WATCH: Buses hardly moving amid implementation of ‘yellow lane’ policy

Sotto said that they would "defer to the wisdom and authority of the MMDA" but admitted that for now, they would have to contend with the increased traffic in Pasig City.

Earlier Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Public Services conducted an inquiry to tackle the proposed provincial bus ban along EDSA.

Sotto: Lessen demand for cars

Sotto, however, said that while the government continues to study policies that could ease traffic in Metro Manila, the key solution would still be to lessen the demand for cars.

“This means a greater focus on moving people rather than private vehicles. This means incorporating more non-car modes of transportation in our long-term plans,” he added.

The Pasig mayor recognized that the challenge is difficult but they would continue to work on having “better mobility” in Pasig City.

“We will balance the longer term with the short term need to manage traffic better,” he added.

In his first executive order, Sotto ordered the creation of a traffic management taskforce composed of experts who would “review and propose new solutions for the current mobility and traffic situation.”

The task force is set to submit a report on August 15.

READ: Vico Sotto makes good on promise, suspends 'odd/even' scheme in Pasig City

 — Kristine Joy Patag