SENATORIAL aspirant and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday said the government must call for a metro-wide dialogue as a show of “compassion” for commuters and motorists suffering monstrous traffic jams as Christmas Day nears, and find ways to address the gridlock due to last-minute shopping.
Romualdez traced the traffic crisis in Metro Manila to poor planning and mismanagement.
“That is why a metro-wide dialogue on this traffic crisis must be held at the soonest. We must find out once and for all who really are responsible for such mess and what would it take to actually ease the traffic burden,” said Romualdez, head of the House independent bloc and president of the Philippine Constitution Association.
He questioned transportation officials why they kept on blaming the huge volume of vehicles, and undisciplined drivers and commuters for the metro’s congestion, and not their ineptness to draw up efficient and effective traffic solutions.
“The blame game or the finger-pointing must stop. If the people are the real bosses, this will be a very good chance for the government to prove it,” he said.
“Responsible traffic officials and personnel must not remain unaccountable for the suffering caused by their lack of compassion for the suffering of all commuters and the motorists.”
Romualdez said it’s not the job of shoppers to manage traffic.
In another venue, Romualdez chided the Highway Patrol Group for saying that the Christmas shopping rush had caused the vehicular volume on Edsa to triple.
“Traffic management agencies should have anticipated the increase of vehicles brought about by the Yuletide season,” the Leyte lawmaker said.” They should have come up with contingency measures months in advance.”
He urged the HPG and Metro Manila Development Authority to show concern to the people and stop putting the blame solely on Christmas shoppers.
