Buses key to easing EDSA traffic – Recto

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Ralph Recto said yesterday any effort to decongest EDSA should be anchored on reducing the number of public utility buses (PUBs) plying the national thoroughfare.

“A traffic reduction plan clamping down on the use of private vehicles would not solve the problem. There should be a laser-powered approach to cut through the volume of buses traversing EDSA to attain satisfactory results,” he said.

Recto said World Bank (WB) figures indicate that the ideal volume of buses along EDSA should be only 1,600 but around 7,000 PUBs, including “colorum” buses, are actually using the highway.

Recto said the challenge for government agencies such as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is to at least reduce by half the current number of buses using EDSA.

“We cut down by half the current volume, we cut down traffic and even pollution along EDSA,” he said, noting further that some $2 billion in possible income from economic activities that depend on EDSA is lost every day.

Recto said new proposals to enroll PUBs in the number-coding program would significantly reduce the number of buses plying EDSA.

He said one positive trickle effect of this would be an increase in the ridership of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3, which has become heavily dependent on state subsidy due to weak revenues.

The senator also said that the MRT-3 was projected to transport around 600,000 riders daily but only about 414,000 to 500,000 are serviced each day.

“With fewer buses, we could be moving people from buses to climb up the stairs and take the much safer MRT-3 and, in the process, increase its viability,” he said.

Recto said shifting the commuting preference of people to MRT-3 would also mean “more value for every peso subsidy” that government pours into MRT system yearly as fare subsidy and for maintenance.

“With a P7.3-billion subsidy for MRT-3 next year, EDSA-bound commuters should better put to good use this subsidy money by patronizing the MRT service,” he said.

He said ultimately, the MRT-3 would be able to expand its fleet of coaches or trains on the back of increased passenger traffic and curb its dependence on government subsidy in the long-term.

Recto nevertheless lauded Metro Manila mayors, who comprise the policy-making body of the MMDA, for shooting down the proposed odd-even scheme for private vehicles along EDSA. –Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star)