The daily volume of cars traversing Metro Manila roads has surged to an average of 3.6 million, a figure expected to climb even higher in the final weeks leading up to Christmas Day, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes stated that this number is more than 10 percent higher than the previous record of 3.2 million cars logged two years ago. Artes described the current count as “the highest number we have ever recorded.”
The strain is particularly evident on major arteries like EDSA, where the daily average car volume increased from 400,000 in early November to approximately 434,000 just two weeks prior.
This is far above EDSA’s design capacity, which is intended to carry only around 250,000 vehicles per day.
With employees now receiving their Christmas bonuses and 13th-month pay, fueling a rush of holiday shopping, Artes projected that the car volume would see an additional five to ten percent increase until the following week.
Artes also pointed out that congestion is exacerbated by ongoing public transport infrastructure projects across the region, including the construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7, the common station for MRT-3 and Light Rail Transit 1, the subway, and the North-South Commuter Railway.
The MMDA also noted a rising frequency of road accidents, particularly during peak rush hours, contributes significantly to traffic gridlocks.
Despite the worsening congestion, Artes maintained that the EDSA bus carousel system offers a degree of relief to commuters, owing to its exclusive and uninterrupted lane.
He suggested, however, that the system could benefit from an increase in the number of operational buses to better accommodate the growing passenger volume.