Car owners may eventually have to pay fees to use Edsa, says Remulla
Heavy traffic is seen along EDSA in Pasay City. (File photo by RICHARD REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — Drivers of four-wheeled vehicles in Metro Manila may eventually have to pay a fee to use the perennially congested Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa).
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla believes this will encourage vehicle owners to try public transportation.
Remulla said the plan was tackled during the meeting on the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for Metro Manila and nearby provinces led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday.
READ: Marcos holds meeting with MMDA on comprehensive traffic plan
Article continues after this advertisementThe Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief stressed, however, that this situation would only be put in place once the CTMP for Edsa could be fully implemented.
Article continues after this advertisement“We are thoroughly studying that. Perhaps there will be a metering system through AI,” Remulla said in Filipino over radio dwPM when asked how the government can encourage car owners to use public transportation.
“There will be a charge if the trains are all fixed, and the entire system is fixed,” he went on. “There will be a metering system within Metro Manila to encourage the public to use public transportation.”
Asked if this meant that four-wheeled motorists would pay to use Edsa, similar to a system in other countries, Remulla said: “Yes. So it becomes a privilege, not a right. The road will become anti-cars.”
He noted that 17 percent of the people use 80 percent of the roads in Metro Manila.
“But the first order of the day is that public transportation should be efficient, reliable, and comfortable. That will be prioritized,” he said.
