THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) wants work in National Government agencies to start an hour earlier to ease the traffic congestion in the capital region as the main EDSA highway prepares for rehabilitation.
In a statement on Thursday, the agency said it would propose a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. work schedule to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., citing its “positive effect” on the traffic flow after it was enforced in local government units.
“Adopting the schedule will bring faster travel time during peak hours in Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares, as well as a decrease in traffic delays,” it added.
The MMDA said about 176,000 National Government workers who use private cars would have to go to work earlier. It added that about 224,000 workers who use public transport could avoid joining the rush hour alongside private sector employees.
MMDA Chairman Romando S. Artes will recommend the plan to the President after getting a consensus from local governments in Metro Manila.
“We’ll get first the consensus of the mayors,” he told a news briefing after a Metro Manila Council meeting. “We’ll coordinate with them and ask them what their preference is so that the data we’ll be submitting to the President is complete and the recommendations will be in line with various experiences of each of the LGUs.”
The MMDA chief seeks to finish the recommendation before March, which is the target date for the start of the EDSA rehabilitation.
San Juan City Mayor and Metro Manila Council President Francis M. Zamora and Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano both expressed support for the new work schedule, the MMDA said.
Manila was the 14th most congested city in the world, with an average travel time of 32 minutes, according to the latest edition of the TomTom Traffic Index.
The index assessed cities and metropolitan areas across 62 countries by their congestion and travel times and how many hours commuters stuck in traffic have lost. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
