Meralco asked to help decongest traffic

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has asked the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to open its roads to motorists and help decongest traffic.

MMDA officer-in-charge Tim Orbos said over the weekend that he was waiting for Meralco’s response on his request to help decongest the Julia Vargas street in Ortigas, Pasig City and other roads leading to C-5.

Orbos said seeking the help of private companies is part of the government’s efforts to address traffic problem in the metropolis.

Recently, the homeowners of Corinthian Gardens, a gated subdivision along EDSA, agreed to open its streets as alternate routes for private motorists during heavy traffic.

Orbos said he backed out from the proposal after taking into consideration the security of the Corinthian residents, who are mostly heads of the country’s major industries.

“I thanked them for agreeing, but it becomes my responsibility to ensure that whatever we do will not affect their security, ” Orbos said.

He said the MMDA would no longer open the streets in Corinthian Gardens once they start opening the roads around Meralco.

Over the past few months, the MMDA opened some streets in Quezon City including at Camp Aguinaldo and Veterans Memorial Medical Center as well as the Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig to serve as alternate routes for motorists.