MMDA chief supports 'elevated EDSA' but also earlier school dismissal

Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino has expressed support for the proposed construction of an elevated Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), but laid down five conditions that he deemed helpful if the plan would push through. Interviewed on Wednesday by news anchor Howie Severino on GMA News TV's "News to Go," Tolentino said the proposal for the "additional thoroughfare in Metro Manila" could be a solution to the growing number of vehicles in the area. "We have more volume of cars yearly, [pero] wala naman pong expansion or creation of new road ways. So ang naisip po siguro ng DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), which I support, is the construction of an elevated EDSA to accommodate the volume," he said, adding that there are already 1.9 million registered vehicles in Metro Manila.

To complement the various plans that the DPWH will make, Tolentino disclosed his five "conditions" for the proposal, which are:

a traffic management plan;

franchise re-adjustment plans to allow public utility buses (PUBs) to take alternative routes;

re-adjustment of school calendars and early dismissal for schools within the vicinity;

an environmental impact plan that will consider flood control and the level of noise pollution on surrounding villages; and

flexible hours for employees who will be affected by the construction, especially those working in malls and government offices near EDSA. 'Not the ultimate solution' While he sees that the elevated EDSA can help, the MMDA chairman admitted that it is not the ultimate solution to the congested roads in Metro Manila. "We also have to consider the expanding urban population, migration, among others. Kasama po siguro ito sa mga nakitang solusyon ng DPWH. It is being done in other countries as well, creating more roads, pero hindi naman po siguro 'yan 'yung ultimate solution," Tolentino said. "It will not prevent our countrymen from purchasing cars. It will not prevent developers -- with the absence of a national land use plan -- from constructing more commercial areas [on lands] which are supposed to be for open spaces," he added. Tolentino also said the Metro Railway Transit (MRT) and the number coding help alleviate problems in public transportation, but stresed that they are not enough. The MRT has "inherent limitations" because the trains and operating hours still cannot accommodate the urban population, while the number coding has only reduced the number of vehicles on the road, he added. "The problem still is the capacity of the thoroughfare to absorb the volume of vehicles," he said. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ/HS, GMA News