MANILA, Philippines — Driving from Cubao, Quezon City to Makati in five minutes is “mathematically impossible,” an official of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced yesterday.
MMDA traffic chief Bong Nebrija said President Duterte’s order to reduce to only five minutes the travel time from Cubao – a congested segment of EDSA – to the country’s financial hub was a gigantic task.
“That’s mathematically impossible kahit saan natin tingnan,” Nebrija said.
He said the realistic target could be 15 minutes, citing the monstrous traffic jams along EDSA.
“Maybe 15 minutes we could do it,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
“Hitting five-minute travel time is great, but missing a couple of minutes is also good for commuters,” Nebrija added.
Last week, President Duterte said travel time from Cubao to Makati could be reduced to five minutes by December.
“You just wait. Things will improve. Maybe God-willing December smooth sailing na,” Duterte said.
Nebrija said the President’s pronouncement indicated “hope that traffic congestion could be addressed not only on the local level but on the national scope.”
Earlier, the MMDA formed an inter-agency group called Task Force Cub-Ma in a bid to cut travel time from Cubao to Chino Roces Avenue in Makati to 30 minutes from an average of one hour.