Change is coming to Manila’s main thoroughfare.
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced in a statement that they will be lowering the maximum speed limit on EDSA from 60 kph to 50 kph. The agency said that this was done to lessen vehicular accidents.
EDSA connects six of Metro Manila’s 16 cities. As of 2013, approximately 15,200 private vehicles and 45 city and provincial buses pass EDSA every day. But many have noted that traffic has gotten worse since then.
But most of the time, it’s difficult to drive at even half of the speed limit on EDSA because of the heavy traffic, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours.
Filipino netizens pointed this fact out and responded to MMDA’s announcement with snark and sarcasm on Twitter.
Dear traffic authorities, don't you know how unrealistic a 50 kph speed limit on EDSA is? It should be 50 kilometers per WEEK
— alan c. robles @hotmanila@mastodon.online (@hotmanila) December 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/aupijuan/status/938404671802060800
https://twitter.com/gretchenho/status/938563146632925184
https://twitter.com/evp918/status/938390118414585856
“MMDA reduces EDSA speed limit to 50kph”
As if we’d even be able to reach 50 with that kind of traffic lol u funny— Batchi (@elenadenisedl) December 7, 2017
The MMDA said they are also working on solving this traffic problem.
In the same statement, the agency announced that they will start a one-week dry run of the proposed High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on Monday, Dec. 11.
The HOV lane, the fifth and left most lane on EDSA, will only be available for vehicles with two or more passengers and motorcycles. Those who violate the rule will be fined PHP500 (US$9.90)
The scheme, proposed as a way to improve the traffic situation, was approved on Tuesday by the Metro Manila Council, a group made up Metro Manila mayors.
