A PHILIPPINE senator has pushed for the creation of an independent transport safety board that would craft standards for the implementation of motorcycle lanes and other proposals to decongest traffic in Metro Manila.
On Sunday, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it is considering setting up a motorcycle lane along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) to ease traffic congestion.
“The intention to decongest EDSA is understandable but it is curious how they will carve out a dedicated lane considering the limited road space as it is,” Senator Mary Grace N. Poe-Llamanzares said in a statement.
“It also highlights the need for an independent fact-based agency like the National Transportation Safety Board which should be able to cull data and institute standards for the designation of motorcycle lanes.”
Earlier, she filed Senate Bill No. 1121, which seeks to establish the Philippine Transportation Safety Board, an independent agency that would look into traffic accidents aligning with global standards.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) advised motorists to seek alternate routes as the southbound EDSA-Kamuning Flyover undergoes retrofitting, which would cause significant traffic conges-tion in this area of Quezon City.
Repairs on the flyover will start on April 25 and run until Oct. 25. Beginning May 1, the flyover would be closed to all private vehicles and cater only to buses along the EDSA Carousel, MMDA Traffic Engineering Center Director Neomie T. Recio said on Monday.
At a press briefing, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Project Engineer Brian B. Briones recommended diversions via Panay Avenue, Mother Ignacia St., Sgt. Esguerra St., and Timog Avenue.
Acting MMDA Chairman Romando S. Artes stressed the need to implement the repairs to ensure structural safety in the event of seismic events. He noted that the flyover’s closure would affect 385,000 vehicles on a daily basis. — John Victor D. Ordoñez with a report from Chloe Mari A. Hufana