Green group: MM traffic ‘deadly’

MANILA, Philippines - Contrary to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya’s claim that Metro Manila’s traffic problem is “not fatal,” a group of environment advocates said yesterday that it is indeed “deadly.”

Dr. Leo Olarte, chairman of the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines, reminded Abaya that monstrous traffic jams aggravate the deadly effects of unabated motor vehicle emissions on the health and lives of people living in the metropolis.

“If you’re a patient with cardiovascular ailments (or predisposed to it) the intensive particulate matter (PM) or soot exposure that you can be subjected to, when caught in traffic jams for several hours, can possibly trigger episodes of heart attack, stroke and even sudden death right there and then even when you’re inside your air-conditioned cars,” he said.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) chief was recently quoted as saying that the worsening traffic problem in Metro Manila “may be ruining the day for thousands daily, but at least it’s not fatal.”

Olarte said data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources show that 80 percent of air pollution in the National Capital Region “can be directly traced to unabated emissions of motor vehicles.”

He also said the rampant corruption in the emission testing of motor vehicles, which is under the control of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), “incidentally an agency under the DOTC, is a major reason why Metro Manila is plagued with smoke-belching motor vehicles that pollute the air we all breathe.”

Olarte urged Abaya to order LTO chief Alfonso Tan to “do his job” and end corruption in the emission testing process.