Palace: Infrastructure, policies being improved to address traffic congestion

After the Philippines was identified as one of the countries with worst traffic condition in the world, Malacañang said Thursday that the Aquino administration is coming up with long-term solution to vehicular congestion in Metro Manila.

 

At a press briefing, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the government was undertaking infrastructure projects to ease traffic congestion in the National Capital Region (NCR). 

 

“Patuloy namang tinutukoy ang suliraning ito sa pamamagitan ng pagpapahusay ng imprastruktura at sa pagpapahusay ng traffic management,” Coloma told reporters.

 

The Palace official made this statement the Philippines ranked ninth in the 2015 Traffic Index by multinational research firm Numbeo identified the Philippines.

 

The study said a commuter in the Philippines usually takes 45.50 minutes just to get to a destination 12 kilometers away.

 

Coloma pointed out that the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), which President Benigno Aquino III, already approved last year a “long-term traffic management and infrastructure program for Metro Manila.”

 

The transportation infrastructure plan, recommended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is expected to ease traffic congestion in NCR before 2030.

 

The communications secretary also appealed for public cooperation in addressing traffic congestion.

 

“Patuloy rin ang panawagan sa mga mamamayan na makiisa. Kaya nga tayo may umiiral na number coding sa mga pribadong sasakyan, nakikiisa ang mga private vehicle owners sa pag-regulate ng paggamit nila ng pribadong sasakyan para maibsan ‘yung pagsisikip ng ating main thoroughfares,” he said.

 

A study conducted by the National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS) in 2013 showed that the Philippine government lost over P1.5 trillion due to traffic congestion from 2001 to 2011. —NB, GMA News