We are all in this together

According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), all motorists should brace themselves for the rehabilitation of EDSA this mid-June. According to Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, the repair of EDSA may take a year and a half. He admitted that the already-bad traffic on the said road will only worsen.

So far, no plan has been released by any agency on how to address that problem. One of the plans is to suspend toll collection on some stretches of the Skyway. Everyone is still studying what is the best way to deal with the surely blood-curdling traffic. Whatever those plans are, I hope they are implemented for everyone. I would hate to see VIPs or any official who is not authorized to use sirens, have escorts, or whatever just to get ahead. Only those who are truly authorized to have escorts and use sirens should be allowed. But honestly, I doubt if they can or will even enforce that.

Another solution is to implement the MMDA’s No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP). The court temporarily suspended it because someone complained about the size of the fines he had to pay for alleged traffic violations. The MMDA argues that with the NCAP, they no longer need to stop violators, have discussions, and so on. Traffic will just flow. Once a violation is caught on camera, a letter will be sent to the offender stating a fine that needs to be paid. But will you be allowed to question the infraction? Honestly, I don’t know how this can be implemented properly. It might take months before a resolution is attained on a complaint due to the number of violators the NCAP may catch. The MMDA has already released a list of roads where the NCAP will be reimplemented. I strongly suggest all motorists memorize these roads to avoid getting caught.

This is a big headache for everyone. But they say it needs to be done because it has been a long time since the last repair of the stretch of EDSA. Past repairs were only piecemeal. I remember that they were able to remove bad sections, level the ground, and pour cement, all in a weekend. Will they do it the same way, but on more sections, and work 24 hours a day? Whatever the plan is, be prepared. Plan your routes, study the detours, and most importantly, keep a cool head. We are all in this together.