Opposition Senator Chiz Escudero yesterday said that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) needs a reality check on its claim that travel on EDSA has improved to an average speed of 39 kilometers per hour.
"In what universe do you see traffic in EDSA averaging almost 40 kilometers per hour? Maybe our friends in MMDA are monitoring traffic at 4 in the morning?" he said.
Escudero said instead of griping about a study made by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) showing the average traffic speed along EDSA at 10 kph, it should instead check its veracity.
The DPWH study says that the proliferation of billboards, especially sexually suggestive advertisements, is one reason why traffic crawls along EDSA, putting Metro Manila only second to Bangkok in the list of the Asian cities with the slowest traffic speeds.
Escudero said that the findings of the MMDA seem to be based only on speculations as it presented no credible study to back up its claims.
"Managing Metro Manila's traffic is one of the core mandates of MMDA and yet it casually dismisses the DPWH study without presenting evidence to the contrary," he said.
"Ask any frequent EDSA traveler and he or she will tell you that you will have to crawl your way through traffic, especially during rush hour, to reach Makati from Monumento?" Escudero said.
Escudero reminded the MMDA of the billions in money and opportunities lost due to the traffic gridlocks not only along EDSA but also throughout Metro Manila.
He said that studies show that around P140 billion a year is wasted due to the worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila.
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