DPWH stops road repairs for the holidays

Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane ordered yesterday that all road repair works along EDSA and major thoroughfares in the metropolis be put on hold to ease the flow of vehicular traffic during the holidays.

Ebdane said he instructed National Capital Region (NCR) Director Robert Lala and his district engineers to halt all road repair works, particularly concrete re-blocking projects “until after the Christmas season.”

Quoting statistics of the Philippine National Police (PNP), he said the volume of motorists increase by 45 percent during the holidays because many people go Christmas shopping.

He issued the order after he received complaints that ongoing repair work along the southern part of EDSA caused traffic jams last Friday.

But he said there was a need to repair the deep potholes because it could damage the tires of passing vehicles. He said they did the repairs Friday evening using high-grade cement so the repaired patch would easily dry and the road would be passable to motorists by Monday.

Ebdane also said there were other factors that contributed to the worsening of the traffic situation such as illegal parking, illegal loading and unloading of passengers and undisciplined drivers.

He also cited the location of the shopping malls – most are along major roads – as one of the causes of traffic gridlocks during the holiday season.

Ebdane said they will rely on information provided by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, which monitors vehicular traffic, to determine when the DPWH may resume its road repair work.

Ebdane also said that despite the complaints, no sanctions would be made against Lala. “I am also responsible because they are under me, that is why I immediately responded and took action,” he said.