Increased vehicle volume blamed for EDSA traffic woes

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority blamed the increase in the volume of vehicles for the heavy traffic being experienced by motorists along EDSA.

MMDA Traffic Operations Center chief Ernesto Camarillo said the traffic congestion in EDSA could be attributed to the sheer number of vehicles using the thoroughfare with less than a week before Christmas.

Most of the motorists are frequenting the popular malls located in Makati City and Mandaluyong City for their Christmas shopping, Camarillo said.

The traffic is so bad in the past few days that even President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was not spared as her entourage was stuck in traffic from Magallanes to Santolan Wednesday.

MMDA Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. explained that a string of vehicular accidents occurred along EDSA at the time the President was caught in traffic.

Abalos mentioned three "accidents" at the areas of Pioneer street and SM Megamall in Mandaluyong and P. Tuason in Cubao which happened at almost the same time.

Although refusing to elaborate, Abalos speculated that the accidents did not occur by coincidence but were intentionally perpetrated by "some groups."

As a possible solution to the traffic gridlock caused by road accidents, Abalos said that he is preparing a position paper on a proposed amendment to insurance regulations on the claims of motorists involved in vehicular accidents.

Abalos said that he would ask the Insurance Commission if it could allow a "no fault" clause on the claims of the motorists.

The proposed amendment aims to rid the process of waiting for police reports needed by motorists to claim from their insurance companies.

Abalos explained that vehicular accidents do not cause traffic but the long wait for the police investigators to arrive while the involved vehicles are parked on the middle of the road does.

However, the proposal is still being studied by the MMDA because of its implication on the motorists.

Camarillo pointed out that the Insurance Commission has informed the MMDA that the move would entail a huge cost to the motorists. Insurance firms would have to charge higher premiums to cover for the no fault clause in accidents.

Meanwhile, Abalos refuted the allegation of Makati City traffic official Hermenegildo San Miguel that traffic has worsened in the city because of the unregulated in issuance of exemptions to the color-coding scheme by the MMDA.

Abalos said that the issuance of exemptions is strictly regulated and selective and that the increase in the volume of vehicles is a result of many factors.

He pointed out that the most significant development was the exemption of vehicles used for the promotion of tourism in Metro Manila.

Most of the vehicles involved are rental cars at the hotels and coasters or buses used by large tourist contingents.

Abalos added that the lifting of the ban on public utility buses also contributed to the increase in the volume of vehicles on the road.