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Motorists endure heavy traffic along EDSA in Guadalupe, Kamati on December 22, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News 

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Metro Manila needs 'traffic czar': group

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/20231222-christmas-traffic-edsa-MT-2.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Motorists endure heavy traffic along EDSA in Guadalupe, Kamati on December 22, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN NewsMotorists endure heavy traffic along EDSA in Guadalupe, Kamati on December 22, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Motorists endure heavy traffic along EDSA in Guadalupe, Kamati on December 22, 2023. <em id="isPasted">Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Government must appoint a traffic czar to address traffic woes in Metro Manila, a business group said.</p><p>In a statement on Monday, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) asserted that there is a traffic crisis in the capital region, after it topped a transportation data specialist&#x27;s list of metro areas with the worst traffic in 2023. </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/19/24/metro-manila-tops-list-of-metro-areas-with-worst-traffic-study">Metro Manila tops list of metro areas with worst traffic: study</a></div><p>MAP said the government should recognize that the traffic crisis is the result of a failure in traffic management. It added that a traffic czar should be appointed by the president and given full powers to mobilize, direct and deploy existing government resources to ease traffic in the metro.</p><p>The group urged authorities to organize Metro Manila into 4 traffic management zones that will each have its own traffic manager. They will report to the traffic czar.</p><p>The MAP suggested the revival and creation of new Mabuhay Lanes, which are alternate routes to relieve traffic congestion along major thoroughfares, such as EDSA, C4, C5 and radial roads.</p><p>The group said laws should be strictly enforced in these lanes, including a ban on parking during designated peak traffic hours and impounding of erring vehicles.</p><p>MAP added that traffic flows in Metro Manila be revised by limiting left turns and crossings, and disallowing U-turns, except only in suitable locations.</p><p>The group called on government to adhere to the national transport plan formulated by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in 2017, which prioritizes mass public transport over private vehicles.</p><p>MAP said plan allocates more road space for busways and calls for the creation and expansion of sidewalks and bike lanes.</p><p>The group also urged the government to complete the EDSA Busway project and privatize the MRT-3 and LRT-2 operations to boost their services.</p><p>They encouraged leaders to build a new government center, transfer all national offices to the New Clark City, and suspend the construction of new government offices in the metro.</p><div><strong>RELATED STORY:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Txj6FGg_XG4?&amp;ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span>Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" id="isPasted" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

<p>A business group said government should appoint a traffic czar to address the traffic problem in Metro Manila.</p>

A business group said government should appoint a traffic czar to address the traffic problem in Metro Manila.