No holiday in Metro Manila traffic

It’s a day after Christmas and most people are enjoying the longest holiday weekend, except us in media and others who remain at work 24-7. However, the Christmas holiday traffic gridlock remains horrendous – if not hellish – especially in areas going to malls and other family entertainment establishments.

On the road going to work on Christmas day, we got stuck for almost an hour negotiating through traffic snarls starting from the intersection of Coastal Road and Roxas Boulevard. Northbound vehicles were bumper-to-bumper, with those on motorcycles weaving in and out between spaces – no matter how small.

When we finally got through the traffic jam, it turned out the gridlock was limited to Baclaran area because of the Christmas mass. The entire road in front of Redemptorist Church was taken over by vendors since the Christmas season began. So pedestrians – and hawkers as well – spill over the outer lanes which are for vehicles only.

It seemed all hell broke loose with the lifting of the number-coding of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) from Dec. 23 to Jan. 4.

A top car firm executive told me this is the downside of the number-coding which is implemented to reduce the number of motor vehicles on the road. The Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) is lifted across Metro Manila during weekends and public holidays.

Under the UVVRP, vehicles with license plate numbers ending in 1 and 2 are not allowed in EDSA and on major streets of Metro Manila from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and again between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Mondays. Vehicles with license numbers ending in 3 and 4 are covered by the UVVRP on Tuesdays; 5 and 6 (Wednesdays); 7 and 8 (Thursdays) and 9 and 0 (Fridays).
Vehicles covered by the UVVRP for that day are however given the “window hours” of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to use EDSA and other major thoroughfares such as C-5 Road, Roxas Boulevard and Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, regardless of the cities covered.

There are no “window hours” in Makati City and Las Piñas City while the cities of Marikina, Muntinlupa, Taguig and Parañaque do not implement the UVVRP. Pasig City meanwhile implements the window hours between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. In Pasay City, the UVVRP is not implemented along the Ninoy Aquino Avenue, MIA Road, Domestic Road, Sales Road and portions of Buendia Avenue.

I won’t mention the name of this car executive, except describing his company as engaged in selling imported, high-end vehicles in the Philippines. This car executive blamed the number-coding for the rapid increase in vehicles in Metro Manila where this is strictly implemented, especially in the cities of Makati and Las Piñas where there are no window hours.

The car executive matter-of-factly pointed to the number-coding as reason or grounds for the rich and moneyed people to buy additional cars they can use to go around the traffic reduction scheme. And this is no empty boast of the car executive, citing official data and statistics to back up his assessment.

Local distributors reported sales of imported cars in the Philippines went up by 20 percent on year to 3,101 units in October this year. The sales of passenger cars also expanded by 29 percent on year to 1,655 units while light commercial vehicles sold in October rose by 10 percent on year to 1,446 units.

The same car executive noted there is expected increase of imported luxury cars and high-end vehicles next year with the country’s hosting of the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ summit. He disclosed the initial batches of imported high-end vehicles came in already and are now on the road.

These were BMW 5 Series and X-5 SUVs (sport utility vehicles) that were used by senior ministers in the first of a series of APEC meetings held here in Manila earlier this month. More are coming in the next months.

In addition, there would be 27 units of bullet-proof and bomb-proof BMW Series 7 models coming before the summit itself for each of the 29 APEC leaders attending, including one for President  Benigno “Noy” Aquino III, if I’m not mistaken. US Presidents like Barack Obama and Brunei Darussalam King Bolkiah bring their own security limousines level 9.

At the end of the APEC, these imported high-end vehicles either go back to their supplier or are sold locally. I gathered that some have already been reserved and are considered pre-sold to their new owners.

Traffic would be the least of concerns for the APEC since the Philippine government, as host country, has made provisions for security escorts to clear the way for these dignitaries. But for common folks like us, we have to grin and bear it whenever there would be APEC senior ministers’ meetings held in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported yesterday they are 70 percent complete in road repairs and crowd control preparations for the visit of Pope Francis on January 15 to 19. Presumably, this included the DPWH repairs and preparations in Luneta. This is because one of the scheduled activities of Pope Francis is a Holy Mass at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park.

But what simply begs explanation is why DPWH had to destroy the plants in front of Rizal Monument by placing concrete barriers on top of them. Taxpayers’ monies were used to beautify this area with plants. DPWH also laid concrete barriers alongside the island dividing Roxas Boulevard.

A very tight security plan has been laid down for the entire visit here of Pope Francis who reportedly frowns upon his being kept away from the people’s touch. Pope Francis does not even want to use closed, bullet-proof Pope Mobile to protect him from any would-be assassin while on the road.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada earlier declared a citywide holiday from Jan. 15 to 19. The Palace matched this with similar holiday declaration in Metro Manila on Jan.15, 16 and 19. With only 20 days to go before Pope Francis’ historic visit, we could only pray for a miracle that there would be no hellish traffic during the holiday period next month. We, ordinary working mortals, will just go about our way and watch the Pope from a distance from television.