Promote carpooling instead of drivers-only ban, MMDA told

“The MMDA tried to sell it that the commuter should not pass EDSA. That’s wrong. The packaging and marketing should be, we should entice a lot of commuters, our friends to ride on a common carrier and they could pass through EDSA,” House Committee on Metro Manila Development chair Winston Castelo said. (File photo: Winnie Castelo/ Facebook)

MANILA – A lawmaker on Monday said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) should “recalibrate” its campaign on the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) traffic scheme by promoting the idea of carpooling instead of the “driver-only” car ban along EDSA.

In a press conference, House Committee on Metro Manila Development chair Winston Castelo said while the intention of the new traffic policy was correct, its marketing was wrong as it focused on banning single-passenger cars to traverse EDSA.

“The MMDA tried to sell it that the commuter should not pass EDSA. Mali ho yun (That’s wrong). The packaging and marketing should be, we should entice a lot of commuters, our friends na sumakay sa (to ride on a) common carrier at pwede na dumaan sa EDSA (and they could pass through EDSA),” House Committee on Metro Manila Development chair Winston Castelo said.

“In other words, let us invite our friends so that it would no longer be necessary to use another vehicle. Kung yun po yung packaging, yun po ang marketing (If that is the packaging and marketing), I am sure that it would meet less of a resistance,” he added.

Castelo said the objective of the ban for “driver-only” vehicles was not met because although the volume of vehicles on EDSA decreased, it went to other places like C-5 and other peripheral roads.

Castelo said other means to ease traffic congestion include lifting of color coding for buses to be used for the point-to-point bus service, implementing the bus rapid transit system, and employing motorcycle taxis.

The MMDA has suspended the full implementation of the HOV scheme as the Metro Manila Council (MMC) is set to deliberate on the measure.

The full implementation of the traffic scheme was supposed to start on August 23.

The policy bans single-passenger cars on EDSA from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays.

MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said a Senate resolution which calls for the suspension of the HOV scheme prompted the decision to defer its full implementation.

“We suspend the full implementation of HOV scheme in deference to the Senate resolution,” Garcia told a press briefing Friday at the MMDA office in Makati City, adding that only the MMC can decide the fate of the HOV scheme.