THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) are studying the viability of having a motorcycle lane as another measure to solve the perennial traffic problem on Edsa. Based on the DOTr study, around 170,000 motorcycles use EDSA daily.
“‘Yung EDSA po natin, four lanes lang po ‘yan. ‘Yung isang lane meron na tayong busway. Doon sa right side na portion ‘yung bicycle lane. We are looking siguro po ‘yung katabi ng bicycle lane ang gawin nating motorcycle lane,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said. “Kasi ngayon makikita n’yo sa EDSA, lahat ng lane kinakain. We’re working with MMDA on how we can improve the traffic situation relating to motorcycles,” he added.
With a motorcyle lane in EDSA, the government also aims to address the economic cost of traffic, the transport chief added. Bautista cited a 2017 study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), stating that economic cost of traffic is P3.5 billion a day in Metro Manila.
By 2022, the economic losses from traffic reached P4.9 billion a day. JICA projected this to balloon to PHP9 billion a day by 2030.
“Economic cost [of traffic], ito po ‘yung additional fuel, additional cost, nawawalang opportunity for growth, lost time natin sa family,” Bautista explained. (PNA)
