Mall owners agree to extend shopping hours to ease Christmas rush traffic

Mall operators particularly those on EDSA have agreed to extend their operating hours to until 11 p.m. in a bid to ease the heavy traffic expected during the Christmas rush, the Metro Manila Development Authority has announced.

MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos and 15 mall operators signed an agreement as regards adjusting mall operating hours to minimize traffic in Metro Manila over the holidays.

The mall operators agreed to operate their respective establishments from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., starting Dec. 1, 2015 until Jan. 3, 2016.

“This has been a yearly practice for us to sign this agreement in order to ease vehicular and pedestrian traffic during the holiday season,” Carlos said in a statement.

Mall owners are also expected to coordinate with the MMDA their special events such as sales and other promotions.

One of the mall operators said that the malls will close after 11 p.m. in cases of concerts and the for the annual New Year's Eve countdown. -NB, GMA News