MMDA seeks Duterte nod on driver-only ban in EDSA

MANILA - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is seeking an audience with President Rodrigo Duterte to explain its ban on single-occupancy vehicles along EDSA, an official said Monday.

The agency last week launched a dry-run of the traffic scheme along the capital's major thoroughfare but suspended its full implementation pending the meeting of the Metro Manila Council later this week.

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"Pag na-convince mo naman si President, mako-convince mo lahat kasi nga matalino yung Presidente natin. Alam niya kung kalokohan ito o hindi. Pag pumayag siya, ibig sabihin na-explain namin nang maigi. I e-explain din namin sa iba," General Manager Jojo Garcia told ANC's Headstart.

(If you can convince the President, you can convince everyone else because the President is smart, he knows if this is nonsense or not. If he will approve of it, it means we were able to explain it well, then we will explain it others too.)

MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim is arranging the meeting with the Duterte through Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go, said Garcia.

This comes after the Senate passed a resolution calling for the suspension of the scheme because it "was set in place without public consultation and due process."

Up to 185,000 of the 350,000 vehicles that pass through EDSA have only the driver in them, said Garcia.

Under the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) traffic scheme, these cars cannot pass through EDSA, which runs from Caloocan City to Pasay City, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays.

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The drivers are only apprehended during the dry-run, but they will be fined P1,000 once the measure is fully implemented.

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Garcia said this scheme is only a "short-term solution" as motorists await the infrastructure being built around Metro Manila and is an "incentive" to motorists who would carpool and leave their individual cars at home.

If the scheme proves to be effective in lessening private cars along EDSA, Garcia said the MMDA eyes lifting the number coding scheme on public utility vehicles that will service more commuters.