The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has started planning for the anticipated heavy traffic during the holiday rush, MMDA Director for Traffic Enforcement Group Attorney Victor Nuñez said in a Friday public briefing.
The plan included strict monitoring of major thoroughfares, such as EDSA, C5, Balintawak, and Commonwealth Avenue, as the holidays approach.
The MMDA was also working on extending the work hours of field personnel to midnight this coming holiday season to ensure road safety even at late hours.
“Alam natin na maraming dumarayo dito sa Metro Manila during the Christmas season. We will do our best na magkaroon ng mga initiatives especially on traffic schemes kung ikabubuti namin,” Nuñez said.
(We are aware that there are large numbers of visitors during the Christmas season. We will do our best to plan for this, especially effective traffic schemes.)
“Alam naman po natin ngayon na pag maulan at rush hour di maiiwasan bumagal ang daloy ng trapiko. Kami po sa hanay ng MMDA [ay] patuloy na ginagawa ang aming makakaya para maibsan ang flooding at manage the traffic, especially pag malakas ang ulan during rush hours,” he added.
(We all know that when the weather is bad and it’s the rush hour, the traffic flows much more slowly. We at the MMDA will continue doing what we can to ease flooding and manage the traffic, especially during rush hour downpours.)
Meanwhile, the MMDA was also working on being “proactive” in terms of road maintenance to avoid further instances of flooding along major roads in the city.
“They have to check the drainage kung talagang may nakabara and to call the command center, para mainform ang flood control team para before pa umulan kung may nakita silang nakabara. Dapat mainform na agad hindi yung kapag may umulan at tumaas ang tubig tyaka lang pupuntahan at aalisin,” Nuñez said.
(They have to check the drainage if it’s blocked so the command center and flood control team are informed even before it rains. They have to be informed in advance. You don’t remove blockages only when there’s a downpour with a rising flood.) — DVM, GMA Integrated News
