THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has begun the implementation of its plan to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila by banning provincial buses from EDSA, one of the major thoroughfares in the main metropolis of the country.
Along with prohibiting provincial buses from entering Metro Manila, the MMDA also intends to shut down all provincial bus terminals along EDSA and accordingly has already issued MMDA Regulation No. 19-002 to that effect revoking the business permits of the said bus terminals.
The plan of the MMDA to ban provincial buses and remove provincial bus terminals in Metro Manila, particularly in EDSA, is quite a drastic measure to undertake given the possible additional burden to be imposed on commuters from outside Manila who rely on these provincial buses to get there in comfort and convenience. But MMDA may have correctly assessed that the horrendous traffic now being experienced in Manila is directly connected to the around five thousand provincial buses that traverse and transit EDSA as well as other major streets in that city.
Given the situation MMDA decided to come up and implement a drastic solution that would hopefully in the long run finally ease traffic in Manila.
Here in the City of Baguio, perhaps a proposal can be studied and tested to determine whether it can also decongest traffic in the Central Business District area as well as other outlying areas in the locality.
The proposal is one, to remove all bus and van terminals in the Central Business District (CBD) area and have them relocated at the outskirts of the city in areas corresponding to the direction of their travel destination; two, permanently ban all trucks with six wheels or more from using city roads during the day. These trucks will be allowed entry to the city only during nighttime and with the hours to be specified.
Three, impose a total ban on parking of any type of vehicle along the roads and streets of the CBD area unless they are unloading or loading in specified areas and with minimum stand-by time. Fourth, remove all jeepney terminals and staging areas at the CDB and impose an express system of transit and travel for these public utility vehicles.
Exemptions of course can be granted for those PUJ lines that have 20 vehicles or less.
Trancoville and Aurora Hill jeepneys are already on express mode so perhaps this can be expanded to include those jeepney lines who maintain terminals at critical areas within the CBD area. And fifth, to prohibit jeepney lines coming from outside the city to enter the CDB area. Just like in Manila these jeepney lines can disembark their passengers in integrated terminals that will be developed for the purpose in combination with bus lines.
By removing all of these kinds of transportation vehicles from the CBD area perhaps the usual traffic bottlenecks and traffic congestion can be reduced and eased to allow for a more convenient and comfortable travel within the city.
There is no easy way to go about trying to solve the traffic problem of the locality but if drastic measures can be implemented to provide relief to our present traffic woes then perhaps the proposal abovementioned can be studied and considered for implementation.