Press Release
August 15, 2018

TRAFFIC ON INNER ROADS TO REPLICATE EDSA, POE SAYS OF DRIVER-ONLY BAN

Sen. Grace Poe today said the hellish traffic on EDSA will just be replicated on inner roads once the driver-only car ban on the major thoroughfare is fully implemented.

Poe, who earlier called on the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to rethink the ban, took the floor on Wednesday to support a resolution calling for the urgent suspension of the MMDA's newest policy called expanded high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes.

"We will be just replicating the horrors of EDSA in all other roads. Aalisin mo nga sa EDSA, ililipat mo naman sa ibang mga kalsada na hindi pa naman handa," said Poe on the first day of the single ban dry-run.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon sponsored Senate Resolution No. 845 calling for the urgent suspension of the MMDA policy, saying it was violative of the due process since no public consultation was held before its implementation.

"They didn't have the courtesy to call for a public hearing on this. Then all of a sudden, even without much warning or public information, they came up with this regulation," said Poe amid calls for its suspension and online criticisms from affected motorists.

Poe said other countries that have HOV programs see to it that other roads are not congested. She said road projects must be finished first before imposing an arbitrary policy.

"This type of complaint does not just come from my committee but everybody who's affected by this...The MMDA didn't make sure that the inner city and barangay roads, as well as the main thoroughfares all around Metro Manila, aside from EDSA, can handle the affected motorists," added Poe.

Poe said she will schedule a public hearing on the resolution.

"Roads should be inclusive. How about parents who bring their children to school, especially single parents? What's going to happen when they come home and they have to stay in a particular area for another three hours just to finish the HOV-specified time?" Poe said.

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