MMDA, mayors to go 5-year traffic plan
By Nidz Godino
“Covers strategies to address traffic management issues” in the metropolis, seen to be hindrance to economy’s continued improvement…“most urgent” of these strategies would be to “complete improvement of 42 traffic bottlenecks the CTMP project has identified and signal systems,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chairman Romando Artes said metropolis’ 17 mayors and concerned national government agencies have committed to enforce five-year plan to mitigate vehicle congestion in Metro Manila’s major roads. In a statement, MMDA said Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for Metro Manila, to be funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), The five-year-plan also aims to put into action ideas “further improve traffic corridors; enhance intelligent transportation system (ITS); strengthen traffic regulations, enforcement and road safety; promote active transportation and develop comprehensive traffic management database.”
It also recommended each Metro Manila local government unit create its respective CTMP to help “strengthen transportation network” in the region, while MMDA was advised to “strengthen its planning capacities in traffic management and its coordination with and among related organizations.”
MMDA said JICA-funded CTMP project was timely since Metro Manila has been receiving more and more visitors with more economic opportunities present in the region, which “has led to an increase in traffic congestion.”
“As the project ends, next step is to implement the plan…continuous coordination, role-sharing, funding, monitoring and evaluation, critical matters that must be addressed,” he said.
ICA will support government’s efforts to address heavy traffic “by sharing Japan’s experiences in traffic management, particularly in ITS, and in private-public partnerships,” according to JICA’s Philippine chief representative Takema Sakamoto.
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