EDSA traffic worse now than Christmas traffic in 2018

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 6) – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that the daily volume of vehicular traffic along EDSA from January to August this year is already higher than the day-to-day average during the Christmas season in 2018.

Traffic chief Bong Nebrija noted that as of August 2019, the daily average of vehicles that ply through EDSA totaled to 405,000, higher than the 402,000 in December 2018 alone.

Nebrija also warned that the MMDA expects a 15-to-20 percent influx of daily volume of vehicles coming from the provinces to pass through EDSA as the year ends. He said the average may peak to 500,000.

The capacity of EDSA is just 268,000, he added.

"We are overflowing," he noted.

The police will start deploying Highway Patrol Group officers to help ease traffic congestion along EDSA starting Monday, September 8. This is not a new practice, Nebrija said. MMDA has proposed a number of solutions to manage traffic, some of which, including the provincial bus ban, have received backlash for being "anti poor and anti commuter." MMDA has an appeal with the Quezon City court, which has issued a preliminary injunction against the ban on buses from outside Metro Manila using EDSA.

Nebrija also said that cops may help improve the traffic flow, as he noted that having them along the major thoroughfare may address MMDA's shortage of manpower, and discourage motorists from violating traffic laws in the area.

"We need a lot of disciplining to do and HPG will help us," he said.

Nebrija also said that target date of completion for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of bridges is before Christmas, December 25. This includes the Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge in Makati City and Tomas Claudio Bridge in Manila, both of which are affecting thousands of vehicles due to their closure.