MMDA plans to phase out old, dilapidated vehicles

In an effort to trim down the number of Public Utility Buses (PUBs) plying along Edsa and in metropolis, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is planning to effect gradual phasing-out of old and dilapidated PUB vehicles.

This was one of the several recommendations arrived at the Inter Agency Traffic and Transport Management Summit last Dec. 3 at the Philippine Social Science Center held in Quezon City.

In 2007, Metro Manila has 1.5 million registered vehicles, while in 2009, the number of registered vehicles went up to 1.8 million,.

The MMDA cited the huge number of PUBs at the Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (Edsa) as among the factors aggravating the traffic problem in the thoroughfare.

A study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) showed that despite having a carrying capacity of only 1,800 buses, some 3,600 are now plying at Edsa on a daily basis.

This prompted the MMDA to re-implement the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or the “number-coding” scheme on PUBs plying at Edsa and other major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

If approved, the phase-out will cover buses older than 10 years, while the LTFRB earlier set at 15 years the maximum age of buses plying in Metro Manila and beyond 15 years buses would automatically be replaced with new ones.

The MMDA also said the agency should have a part in the issuance of new franchises to public utility buses (PUB) in the metropolis to ensure that the number of vehicles will correspond to the need of the route.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said if implemented the plan would ensure better coordination between the agency and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC), particularly the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), which is in charge of issuing franchises to owners of public utility vehicles.

Also one of the proposals during the summit was for Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista to assume the chairmanship of Metro Manila Council (MMC) for special transportation committee which will sign the issuance of franchises but the proposal is still up for further deliberations as all stakeholders, including the bus owners will be consulted.

Participants at the summit earlier agreed to fine-tune existing traffic plans and enhance programs such as no plate, no travel campaign, accident resolution time reduction, authorized vehicle units in authorized routes only, strict vehicle inspection, motorcycle and bike lanes, evaluation of u-turn slots, adoption of traffic engineering standards, standard road signs, bus loading and unloading segregation schemes, resolution of road conflicts, anti-overloading measures, vehicle emission standards enforcement, comprehensive road use education campaign and the non-contact apprehension system to ease traffic problems in Metro Manila.

The MMC is the policy-making body of the MMDA whose members are the 17 Metro mayors.

The MMDA has also created a special team, the Edsa Special Transport and Traffic Zone, headed by newly-installed agency Undersecretary Alex Cabanilla to focus on the metropolis’ prime thoroughfare.

Tolentino also proposed the opening of more secondary roads for traffic to accommodate the increasing number of public and private vehicles plying the streets each year. –Pat C. Santos, DAily Tribune