MMDA mulls revival of exclusive motorcycle lanes along Commonwealth
MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said Wednesday that the establishment of a motorcycle lane along Commonwealth Avenue was on the table as one traffic management solution in major thoroughfares.
This came after the MMDA opened its two-day motorcycle consultation workshop to reach a consensus and action plan for improving the traffic problem in the capital region, long noted by international metrics as being one of the worst in the world.
"Based on our data, the daily average number of vehicles plying EDSA is now at 410,000 and has surpassed the 405,000 pre-pandemic mark because of a number of road activities and face-to-face classes reopening,” acting MMDA chair Carlo Antonio Dimayuga said.
"There is a clamor from motorcycle groups in Metro Manila to dedicate a motorcycle lane on major roads, including EDSA and Commonwealth Avenue, to address the increase of accidents involving motorcycles,” MMDA general manager Melgar Baltazar also said.
Citing data from the Land Transportation Office, Dimayuga said that the vehicular volume in EDSA has exceeded pre-pandemic levels as restrictions continue to ease and registered vehicles in Metro Manila continue to increase at 2.9 million last 2021.
Of that number, 1.44 million are motorcycles. "With this number, we're planning to put an exclusive motorcycle lane along Commonwealth Avenue to put the vehicles in order and as part of road safety for the motorcycle-riding public," the MMDA chief also said.
In that same year, though, the MMDA also recorded a total of 2,397 road crashes involving bicycles. Most of the recorded incidents were side swipes, MMDA data released earlier this year noted.
But Reps. Bonifacio Bosita and Rodge Gutierrez (1-Rider Partylist) claimed at the workshop that motorcycle riders were "the most exposed and at-risk sector on the roads, right now."
Per data from the Metro Manila Accident Recording and Analysis System, the MMDA in 2021 recorded over 26,000 motorcycles involved in road accidents. 295 were fatal, while some 14,000 led to injuries and nearly 12,000 caused damage to property.
Dimayuga also presented data from the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center, which found that 44% of the 302,000 vehicles along Commonwealth were motorcycles, while 38% of the 372,000 vehicles plying EDSA are motorcycles.
The MMDA added that it is also studying the possible installation of exclusive motorcycle lanes in EDSA. In 2018, non-exclusive motorcycle lanes were also put up in other major thoroughfares including EDSA, Commonwealth, and C5.
"There are a lot of motorcycles on the road today and the possibility of accidents are high in these areas," Dimayuga said, urging MMDA personnel to "maintain order and discipline on the roads by enforcing the proper rules and regulations."
"Let us work together to make the roads of the metropolis safe and make Metro Manila a more livable and workable environment for all."
- Latest
- Trending
