Tagle jumps into traffic management fray

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle yesterday urged the Aquino administration to improve traffic management in the metropolis to make the lives of Filipinos comfortable.

This came after the brief stint of emeritus Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales as a traffic enforcer. The 83-year-old cardinal hit the headlines after he stepped out of his car and helped untangle a major traffic gridlock in Sto. Tomas, Batangas despite the rains last Sunday.

Tagle appealed to those responsible for urban planning to make roads a priority to enable Filipinos to lead more comfortable lives.

He suggested that the concerned agencies assess how many vehicles should be allowed to pass through a particular road.

“They should also enforce regulations on the release of new vehicles into the streets in order to reduce the number of cars on the streets. Be realistic, if we know that a particular road could only accommodate 5,000 cars yet there would be 50,000 cars battling for limited space, then how will these vehicles move? We should have a way to monitor,” he said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas.

The prelate is also hoping that the government will find solutions to the problems besieging the public transport system such as the Philippine National Railways, the Metro Rail Transit and buses.

“If they would be able to fix this problem, that would lead to the smooth flow of traffic, then even car owners would think that they no longer need to use their cars since there is already an efficient public transport,” he said.

Tagle also pointed out that how a person behaves when stuck in traffic is a reflection of one’s personality.

“Our traffic is a reflection of our behavior. Are we giving? Are we hotheaded? Or are we competitive and trying to be ahead of the others?” he said.

MMDA chief bashed

Buhay party-list Rep. Joselito Atienza said the worsening traffic mess in Metro Manila has spread to the major thoroughfares outside the capital because of the incompetence of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino.

“The traffic in the Metro is now spreading to the NLEX (North Luzon Expressway) and SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) because vehicles cannot enter or get out of Metro Manila,” Atienza said. “This has been the situation since chairman Tolentino was at the MMDA, which only means he’s incompetent.”

Tolentino personally directed the traffic in Quezon City yesterday morning amid the growing call for his resignation over the worsening traffic jams in the metropolis.

Shortly past 7 a.m., Tolentino was seen directing traffic flow along Katipunan Avenue in front of Ateneo de Manila University’s Gate Three in Quezon City.

Tolentino and several MMDA traffic enforcers then proceeded to the EDSA Megamall area before 8 a.m. to direct traffic there.

Tolentino said it was not the first time that he personally directed traffic as he has been doing it occasionally since assuming the post as MMDA chairman.

It was earlier reported that Tolentino intends to run for senator under the administration’s Liberal Party.

Many netizens expressed belief that Tolentino personally directed traffic for media mileage and it was connected with his plan in the coming elections.

One Twitter user @paulsalarm tweeted that Tolentino was “imitating Cardinal Rosales.”

Forensics expert Raquel Fortun (@Doc4Dead) tweeted that Tolentino’s campaigning is getting in the way of his duties.

“That’s not his job. Tolentino should step down. Campaigning is getting in the way of his duties,” Fortun added.

Another Twitter user @SidRanter tweeted that “What Tolentino does now is all for show. He failed miserably in solving traffic in the metro, why should he be voted to the Senate?” – With Mike Frialde, Paolo Romero