MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has suspended the full implementation of the expanded High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) scheme on Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) 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.
However, the agency will continue to hold a dry-run on the traffic scheme which bans vehicles with only a driver to traverse Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Magallanes in Makati City from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. during weekdays.
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.
“Ang MMDA ay walang power na ihinto ito dahil ito ay gawa ng isang resolution ng MMC. Ang MMC ang siyang may kapangyarihang magpatigil nito (The MMDA has no power to set aside this as it was created through a resolution of the MMC. The MMC has the authority to scrap the scheme),” Garcia said.
“Kailangang magkaroon ng MMC meeting dahil di namin kaya na mag-desisyon ng mag-isa. We will be presenting the Senate resolution to the MMC and they will decide on that. Magpapatuloy ang dry-run ng HOV until di pa nagko-convene ang MMC (A meeting of the MMC must be held as we cannot decide on our own. We will be presenting the Senate resolution to the MMC and they will decide on that. The HOV dry-run will continue until the MMC is not yet convened),” he added.
The MMC is the policy-making body of the agency, consisting of 17 mayors of Metro Manila,
Garcia urged motorists to cooperate as it is one of the short-term measures to address Metro Manila traffic while infrastructure projects are being constructed under the government’s Build, Build, Build program.
“It’s really time for the motorists to think of carpooling to reduce vehicular volume on Metro Manila,” he said.
To date, the MMDA has already monitored more than 8,000 vehicles that have violated the HOV scheme since the dry-run started on August 15.
Last Wednesday, the Senate has issued Senate Resolution No. 845 urging the MMC and the MMDA to suspend the HOV scheme and look for long-term solutions to ease traffic in Metro Manila. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
