MMDA: Moratorium on road works during Christmas season

MANILA, Philippines - To help lessen the effects of the expected traffic jams to be generated over the Christmas season, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has disallowed all road works and diggings across Metro Manila from December 15 to Jan. 5, 2015.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the agency has imposed the same moratorium on roadworks during the Christmas holiday last year.

“Ang ginawa namin last year ay first week of December wala na yon (diggings). So yung existing (roadworks) ang in-eencourage natin ay takluban muna. Dapat i-cover muna pagsamantala para madaaran naman,” Tolentino said.

According to Tolentino, the MMDA will ask the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to instruct their contractors to install steel plates and cover the diggings and allow vehicular traffic to pass through for the meantime.

Tolentino admitted that many of the alternate routes identified by the MMDA as “Christmas lanes” cannot be used by vehicular traffic during the holiday period as these are affected by diggings. According to Tolentino, there are at least 107 street diggings and road repair across Metro Manila.

“Yung contractors nila pwede naman lagyan ng steel plates. Yung problem natin sa Christmas lanes ay halos lahat ng ginawa nating Christmas lanes ay hindi na madaanan. Yun kasi ang mga portions na may hukay,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tolentino advised shoppers to do their Christmas shopping early and try to avoid the holiday rush and the expected traffic jams especially around the big shopping malls. Tolentino also suggested that shoppers visit the shopping malls nearest to their residences in order to avoid finding themselves trapped in traffic jams.

“Kung mga mga malls naman malapit dun na lang. Kaso ang gusto natin puntahan ang mga bagong malls. Hindi naman natin pwedeeng pagbawalan yun,” he said.

“Agahan na lang sana ng mga tao mag xmas shopping ang problema wala pang bonus yung iba,” Tolentino added.

Tolentino said the MMDA would release its traffic management plan for this year’s Christmas season before the end of this month.