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Traffic time on EDSA cut by 10 minutes, PNP HPG chief claims
By XIANNE ARCANGEL, GMA News
(Updated 4:56 p.m.) Travel time along EDSA was cut by at least 10 minutes as cops started taking the lead in managing the traffic on Metro Manila's main thoroughfare, the chief of the PNP-Highway Patrol Group claimed Monday.
President Benigno Aquino III earlier ordered the PNP-HPG to manage traffic in six major chokepoints on EDSA, including Balintawak, Cubao, Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe and Taft Avenue.
Still, traffic jams were still noted in three of the six chokepoints to which they have been deployed.
At the House of Representatives, HPG director Chief Supt. Arnold Gunnacao said initial feedback from motorists earlier in the day showed that traffic congestion along EDSA eased a little as a result of the HPG’s deployment.
“There has been some improvements in the traffic. At least 10 minutes ang sinasabing travel time na na-save nila (motorists). That’s just a conservative estimate. We’ll try to improve [on] that,” Gunnacao told reporters at the sidelines of the House Metro Manila development committee’s hearing on the traffic situation in the capital.
President Benigno Aquino III earlier ordered the PNP-HPG to manage traffic in six major chokepoints on EDSA, including Balintawak, Cubao, Ortigas, Shaw Boulevard, Guadalupe and Taft Avenue.
Still, traffic jams were still noted in three of the six chokepoints to which they have been deployed.
Gunnacao said that while traffic along Balintawak going to Quezon Boulevard has become lighter since the deployment of HPG men, he admitted vehicles were still congested along Cubao, Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard.
He attributed the traffic jams to vehicles using single-artery roads after passing through EDSA.
“There’s an influx of vehicles going out of EDSA and using single-artery [roads] like Ortigas Avenue or Meralco Avenue. Almost all of the vehicles are using those roads,” he said.
Gunnacao said motorists might also experience some traffic congestion Monday afternoon along Ortigas as vehicles pass through to fetch students from schools along Greenhills area.
'Room for improvement'
But despite the minor improvement noted by the HPG in motorists’ travel time along EDSA, Gunnacao said there’s still a lot of room for improvement regarding how cops manage the traffic.
He rated the HPG’s first day at directing the traffic a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.
“As far as my standards are concerned, it’s still a 1. That means there are still a lot of improvements that needs to be done to cut the travel time,” he said.
Gunnacao said motorists cannot expect the traffic along EDSA to drastically improve just a day after the cops were deployed on the road.
“That’s (traffic congestion) is part of [reality]. I cannot do miracles in one day. I’m not God. Hindi natin pwedeng i-magic eh,” he said.
Nevertheless, he vowed that the HPG will continue working to cut the travel time along EDSA as days pass.
“From 10 minutes, ii-improve natin nang iimprove ‘yan, hopefully with the cooperation of motorists and local government units,” Gunnacao said. — RSJ, GMA News
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