(FILE) RUSH TO GO HOME Motorists pack the northbound side of Edsa in Guadalupe, Makati City as Metro Manila prepares for modified enhanced community quarantine effective Tuesday. 鈥擥RIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The number of vehicles on Edsa has reached 399,000 daily which is already nearing pre-pandemic levels, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Benhur Abalos Jr. said Thursday.
Abalos in a televised briefing that this is just 6,000 away from data in July 2019 at 405,000 cars.
鈥淚to po鈥檡 kinuha namin noong July 8, 2019. Ang mga sasakyan noong araw ay higit kumulang 405,000. Pero ngayong July 1, ito鈥檡 halos malapit na, ito鈥檡 399,000 na. Ang pagkakaiba na lang ay 6,000,鈥� Abalos said.
(Data from July 8, 2019, showed that there were 405,000 cars on EDSA. But this July 1, it鈥檚 already nearing 399,000. The difference is just 6,000.)
But Abalos noted the increased travel speed on Edsa despite the volume of vehicles almost reaching pre-pandemic level.
鈥淧ero ang good news naman ay pagdating sa speed. Nung pre-pandemic, ang speed ng southbound ay 11 kilometers per hour. Ngayon, ito ay 27 kilometers per hour. So kung ikukumpara natin, marami ang sasakyan pero mabilis ang takbo niya,鈥� Abalos said.
(But the good news is when it comes to speed. During the pre-pandemic, the speed southbound was at 11 kilometers per hour. Now, it is at 27 kilometers per hour. If we compare, there are many cars but their travel speed is faster.)
鈥淒oon naman po sa northbound, noong araw, ito鈥檡 21.67 [kilometers per hour]. Ngayon, ito鈥檡 24.75 [kilometers per hour]. Mabilis pa rin,鈥� he went on.
(On northbound, it was at 21.67 kilometers per hour before. Now, it鈥檚 at 24.75 kilometers per hour. It鈥檚 still faster.)
Abalos credited the increase in travel speed to the Edsa bus carousel and the reopening of intersections.
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