The pandemic might be a contributor to the improving traffic situation on Edsa, but for the chief of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) such a feat was achieved through a confluence of solutions that made travel along the country’s main thoroughfare more organized.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade admitted that Edsa still experiences traffic congestion, even as he noted that the system is now more organized as there are now more suitable areas for loading/unloading of passengers and travel time of commuters has also gotten faster via bus through the Edsa Busway.
“I am not saying that traffic congestion on Edsa has been eradicated because there are a lot of contributing factors to it. There is still traffic, but what we are saying is that compared to the chaos in the past, wherein buses simply load or unload anywhere, we now have a proper area for commuters,” he pointed out.
Tugade added: “People do not need to line up along the streets of Edsa anymore, and we now have a faster means of transportation because of the Edsa Busway.”
The Edsa Busway is a system borne out of the pandemic. It uses a dedicated bus lane within the inner lanes of the northbound and southbound lanes of Edsa to facilitate unhampered travel.
This, Tugade said, paired with the enforcement of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), have resulted in better traffic flow on Edsa.
“The pandemic may have resulted in less congestion, but with the help and support of the MMDA and completion of other crucial projects to ease traffic flow, such as the Edsa Busway of DOTr, the much improved operation of the MRT 3, and Skyway Stage 3 of DPWH, solutions are coming together to address the problem of perennial traffic in Edsa,” Tugade said.
Aside from solving the traffic situation, Tugade said his agency has intensified efforts to contribute to the fight against Covid-19.
In particular, he said the service contracting program of the government has now reached P169 million in payouts and incentives.
Tugade added that the DOTr has “increased the amount paid per kilometer for both drivers participating in the regular service contracting and those providing free ride for authorized persons outside their residences under the Service Contracting Program.”
To date, close to 5 million people have benefited from the free ride program of the government.
“To PUV drivers who will also sign up for the program, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will be giving one-time incentives amounting to P20,000,” he said.