The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has rolled out its high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic scheme that aims to ban “singles” or driver-only vehicles during rush hour on EDSA. Despite public outcry, MMDA will conduct a weeklong dry run of the said proposition starting August 15, Wednesday, from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m.
Motorists would have to look for alternative routes as EDSA will only be available to HOVs or vehicles with at least two passengers, including the driver. In a press release, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia asks the public’s cooperation and said that the most congested highway in the country will have 40 percent less vehicles with the proposed policy. According to him, this will “result to a remarkable decrease in travel time and increase in travel speed along EDSA”.
BUT WILL IT, REALLY?
This is something the public can’t really ride along with because for many reasons, it’s just nothing but another pain in the ass for us.
Hi @MMDA, Why are you trying to prevent single occupied vehicles on EDSA when the problem is implementation of rules and discipline? See photo. If we were provided proper decent and SAFE mass transport and terminals THEN vehicles will be lessened. pic.twitter.com/YHblwhbRUW
— Jaymie (@jaymiedeguzman) August 10, 2018
1. It’s an added burden for single people or those who travel alone.
The proposed traffic scheme sparked outrage among netizens who thought that this is just another added inconvenience for the public and hugot aside, it’s another burden to carry for single people.
MMDA cites data from EDSA’s annual average daily traffic (ADDT) 2017 which says that “60 to 70 percent of the private motor vehicles along EDSA are single occupancy vehicles or an average of 148,516 to 185,645 in actual units per day.” The proposed policy aims to lessen the number of vehicles causing the daily congestion in EDSA, but should it really be at the expense of motorists—those who are paying taxes for better transport services and getting the burden from traffic schemes like this instead?
Rather than addressing the root cause of the problem—the system that keeps on failing us and the lack of proper urban planning—it seems like we’re putting the blame on drivers and car owners because its the easier road to take.
2. Motorists will now have to start looking for carpool buddies.
People put up with EDSA every day despite the heavy traffic because it is the easiest route for some. Those who traverse EDSA on a daily basis, will now have to worry about getting someone to accompany them while driving because driver-only vehicles could face a Php 1,000 fine when they cross the busy highway.
Aside from the annoyance they usually get from passing by congested roads, those who drive alone during rush hours, would have to avoid EDSA or adjust their travelling schedule to avoid rush hour on EDSA.
3. This is yet another band-aid solution that clearly wasn’t thought out well.
The problem is that up until now we’re still resorting to short-term solutions instead of laying out comprehensive plans to combat the daily traffic problem and ease the burden from motorists.
MMDA’s driver-only ban previously had a test run in December last year but was only limited to two lanes in EDSA. After a few days, the ban was lifted due to difficulties in inspecting heavily tinted vehicles. MMDA also admitted back then that they don’t have enough manpower and thermal cameras to catch violators easier.
At the time, they wanted a single high-occupancy vehicle lane for Edsa. Of the close to 16K cars which used that lane, only 3,529 cars had two or more passengers. The rest? @MMDA had no clue if those cars complied with their policy since these were heavily tinted.
— jovic yee (@jovicyee) August 14, 2018
Trying out this proposition again when it failed the first time seems like they’ve run out ideas on how to actually solve this country’s traffic-related problems and is just resorting to band-aid solutions that never really fixed anything.
This banning of single passenger cars in EDSA for a bandaid solution is super solusyon ng tamad mag-isip.
Like when a bus of students got into an accident on the way to a field trip eh let’s ban field trips ang policy na naisip. Ang husay.
Bakit kaya sila ganyan?
— E (@MadamHiddles) August 9, 2018
Instead of experimenting with schemes that doesn’t solve the traffic issue, people are suggesting to focus more on building better infrastructure and public transportation—you know, just like how they promised during electoral campaigns.
@MMDA banning cars from edsa doesn't solve the traffic issue. It just redistributes traffic to smaller roads that cannot handle the volume. Solution? Build better infrastructure and better public transportation.
But that would be asking too much from this country of course
— Mike Castro (@mikecastrooo) August 15, 2018
4. EDSA may be decongested during rush hours but the traffic only redistributes to different times and places.
The goal of this ban is to lessen vehicles and increase the travel speed along EDSA during rush hours. But what it actually does is it only shifts the traffic from rush hour to a different time and makes secondary roads even more congested as people avoid EDSA. Now, motorists have to deal with even longer travel time and getting stuck somewhere beyond EDSA.
Due to the new MMDA scheme, traffic has shifted to super early in the morning. In which case, you might still end up being stuck in EDSA beyond 7am. This new rule has diminished the work life balance of the workforce.
— Hannah Ramos (@HannahJRamos) August 15, 2018
https://twitter.com/itsjesmae/status/1029535613236604928?s=21
This EDSA driver-ban is really bothering me. It's just gonna move rush hour to 5-8am and 9pm to 12mn and make the secondary roads traffic. Goodluck C5. It will also greatly affect the middle class who are already sleep and family deprived. WHY?! WHY?! 😡😡😡
— Kara O (@kara_acevedo) August 14, 2018
Great Job, @MMDA 👏🏻👏🏻 HOV rule = lesser cars and lesser traffic on EDSA = HORRENDOUS TRAFFIC EVERYWHERE ELSE.
🔪😵— Vania Padilla-Edralin (@vaniaedralin) August 15, 2018
5. If the traffic in EDSA makes you late to work before, now it just got worse.
The unbearable traffic in EDSA was enough to define “forever” for some and for years, it has made us miss work, early meetings, or first class in school. But with the implementation of MMDA’s driver-only ban along EDSA, everyone is getting stuck somewhere else—probably in a more crowded road than EDSA—and dreading longer hours on the road.
https://twitter.com/coycordova/status/1029538192339304448
6. It’s not like we can rely on our public transport system that keeps on failing us.
One of the main reasons why people decide to buy a car is to avoid the hassle of commuting via public transit that keeps on failing on a regular basis. The increase in number of vehicles traversing along major highways like EDSA is also a result of people patronizing transport network vehicle service (TNVS) especially since our public transport system can’t handle the number of commuters daily.
Without safe and proper public transportation, people have nothing to rely on but invest on private vehicles. But now they can’t drive their car freely on especially on a time they needed the most.
I don't get the implementation of private vehicles who only have 1 passenger not allowed in EDSA. Are they advocating carpools na or trying to let people use public transportation?
NAKITA NA BA NILA YUNG MGA TREN NATIN?
— Law Students of Manila (@LawStdntsofMNL) August 8, 2018
7. Single working parents are more likely to be the most affected because of this traffic scheme.
Thanks to this scheme, single working parents will have another problem to think of apart from working hard to provide for the children. Thank you MMDA, right?
You know who won’t be affected by this? Politicians with several cars and drivers✨ Are you a parent who drives your kids to school bec they might die if they take our shitty public transit? SORRY, YOU CAN’T TAKE EDSA AFTER YOU DROP THEM OFF!!! HAHHA!!!
— Saab (@saabmagalona) August 14, 2018
Banning driver only cars on Edsa during rush hour will affect people who:
1. Can't afford chauffeurs
2. Single working parents
3. With small families
4. Healthcare professionals with >1 hospital
5. Have dropped off carpool mates or kids at school.— Leonard Pascual (@drbrainhacker) August 9, 2018
8. People might have to resort to “extreme measures” to still go about their lives following this ~*aMaZiNg*~ new policy:
NO EXPLANATION NECESSARY.
https://twitter.com/lakwatsarah/status/1028960681616240645?s=21
https://twitter.com/jimparedes/status/1029516942841769984?s=21
*Brings sex doll to put on the passenger’s side when driving along EDSA*
— Rigo (@rjgd96) August 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/jimparedes/status/1029534226847166464?s=21
9. This could be another opportunity for corrupt traffic enforcers to make money out of motorists.
Back then the fine for violators was only Php 500 and now it has doubled to Php 1,000. This is motivation enough for corrupt traffic enforcers to just randomly flag motorists left and right to slap them with a “fine”.
@MMDA’s prohibition of Driver-Only vehicles along EDSA and some other areas during rush hours is just so unreasonable! And you know what’s the most cringeworthy part? Kakapal ang bulsa ng mga kurap na ‘traffic enforcers’ na yan dahil sa lagay.
— Gurei Guir (@gerda_gurei) August 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/laurenisabelong/status/1029268913803026432
Full cooperation from the public won’t be a question if we’re seeing that this is making things better and solving actual problems. But for now, it’s only adding to the many struggles we’re facing every day in this country.
What do you think of this new policy from MMDA? Tell us in the comments below.
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