Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 17) — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority admits EDSA traffic is gradually coming back, with more vehicles on the road as the economy slowly reopens.
“With the last [traffic] volume count that we have conducted in May, it’s slowly building up again,” MMDA traffic chief Bong Nebrija told CNN Philippines’ New Day.
Nebrija said the figure currently stands at 380,000 vehicles per day, up from the major thoroughfare’s supposed 268,000 daily capacity.
“We are really overflowing,” said the MMDA official.
President Rodrigo Duterte recently claimed that traffic jam along EDSA is no longer an issue, saying it had been addressed by his administration.
Nebrija noted that several measures have been in place to reduce the flow of vehicles, including a 24/7 truck ban along EDSA. Light trucks have also been prohibited on the major highway for select hours.
Still, the traffic chief said bringing back the number coding scheme is something they “do not have any plans for now to reimplement” despite clamors for its restoration.
The country is still amid a pandemic, Nebrija said, also noting public transport capacity still hasn’t been bumped up. Medical frontliners are also among the MMDA’s concerns, he added.
“Most of them are bringing their private vehicles to go to work so that they will not be inconvenienced by these long lines on the bus stations,” said the official.
Long lines have recently been forming at the EDSA Bus Carousel, where free bus rides await passengers.
“We’re giving this also to the business owners who are just recovering from the past restrictions. This is to provide them more leeway in the logistics, transportation of their goods,” added Nebrija.
The Transportation Department earlier said it is mulling a gradual increase in public transport capacity.
