As oil prices climb, fewer cars seen along EDSA

MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has recorded a drop in the number of vehicles using EDSA, Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare, as fuel prices continue to rise.

MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III said on Tuesday, March 26, that traffic volume decreased by around 20,000 to 30,000 vehicles, based on observations between March 16 and March 18.

Based on MMDA’s 2023 data, an average of 407,342 vehicles ply EDSA every day.

“Sa ngayon, nakita talaga natin ang pagbaba ng numbers. May mga tumigil sa pagdala ng sasakay, ang iba nagka-carpooling at sa mass transport system,” Torre said.

(For now, we have clearly seen a decrease in the numbers. Some have stopped bringing their cars, others have shifted to carpooling and the mass transport system.)

Some government agencies have also implemented a four-day on-site work and one work-from-home day weekly to lessen the demand for fuel used for transportation and operations.

To encourage Filipinos to use public transportation, the government gave out a 50% discount on MRT-3 and LRT-2.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, March 25, also declared a national energy emergency due to the rising costs of fuel.

Public utility drivers, as well as motorcycle and car ride-hailing drivers, have been grumbling over the expensive fuel which has adversely affected their daily income. Major transport groups are set to hold a two-day transport strike on Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27. – Rappler.com