Adjusted malls hours, halted road works to ease Metro Manila holiday traffic

MANILA, Philippines – Mall operators in Metro Manila have agreed to adjust their store and delivery hours to help ease traffic during the holiday season – from November 5, 2018, to January 14, 2019 – while government agencies and private companies will stop all road works and diggings during this period. 

This agreement was reached in a meeting called by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday, October 8, and attended by representatives of the Department of Public Works and Highways, SM Supermalls, Ayala Malls, Robinsons, Meralco, Globe, PLDT, Maynilad, and Manila Waters, among others. 

Shopping malls are considered traffic generators, and there are at least 15 of these malls along EDSA alone, the MMDA said.  

In its advisory, the MMDA said the following will be implemented from November 5 to January 14:

• Mall hours to start at 11 am, an hour later than the current 10 am, during weekdays
• Deployment of additional security personnel to facilitate vehicles’  coming and going in mall parking areas
• Removal of obstructions at the loading and unloading stations around the malls  
• Delivery of non-perishable goods will be from 11 pm to 5 am only.
• No sale will be conducted during weekdays 
• No road works, including road diggings and repairs, except for government flagship projects or during emergency cases

The public works covered by the moratorium include those for right-of-way, passageways, and sidewalks; installation, repair, or improvement of water pipes, telephone or telegraph wires or cable conduits; sewers and drainage systems; communication and power line improvements. – Rappler.com