SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
MANILA, Philippines — A roadmap aimed at easing traffic congestion in Metro Manila will be unveiled by the end of August.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which the government tapped to craft the roadmap, said in a statement Thursday, August 1, that solving the Philippines’ traffic problems would translate to billions of pesos worth of savings each year.
The country incurs an estimated P2.4 billion in economic and financial losses due to heavy traffic each day, according to JICA.
It said addressing traffic congestion in the metro would help bring investments in surrounding areas like Cavite, Batangas and Lucena in the south, and Subic, Clark and Tarlac in the north.
About 800,000 workers employed at 3,000 companies are located in said areas.
Read: Why the EDSA bus segregation doesn’t work
“Hopefully, this roadmap would be able to assist the Philippines in setting policies and strategies in tackling transportation challenges, particularly in Metro Manila,” said JICA Philippines chief representative Takahiro Sasaki.
The roadmap cited the need to improve infrastructure in the metro through the following:
- Construction of new gateway airports and seaports
- Improvement of road networks and expressways
- Integration of of urban mass transit network in Metro Manila
- Modernization of road–based public transportation
- Upgrading of traffic management system
Sasaki added the plan would generate long-term investments in the following industries and sectors:
- Manufacturing
- Services
- Agro-based
- Tourism
JICA said passengers taking mass transit in Metro Manila would reach 7.4 million per day by 2030. – Cherrie Regalado, Rappler.com
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.