Senators support decision to postpone Edsa rehabilitation
Senators welcome the decision to delay Edsa rehabilitation. Inquirer file photo.
MANILA, Philippines — Several senators on Sunday welcomed the postponement of the rehabilitation of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa), reiterating that concerned agencies must consult sectors that will be affected by the project.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday announced the suspension of the P8.7 billion project for a month to give way for concerned agencies to shorten the rehabilitation into six months.
READ: Marcos postpones Edsa rehab for a month
Senator JV Ejercito, who earlier called for the project’s postponement, said that he is “glad” that the president issued the directive, emphasizing that “[a]n honest to goodness economic benefit assessment is needed for this project.”
Ejercito previously said that the rehabilitation would worsen the traffic situation in one of the major thoroughfares in the country, and would be “more detrimental than beneficial in the short term.”
He called for the rehabilitation of the Edsa to be deferred until both the North-South Commuter Line and the Metro Manila Subway System are fully operational.
READ: Postpone Edsa rehabilitation, senator urges
“I believe these will serve as efficient alternatives to private vehicles, making such a large-scale rehabilitation less disruptive to the public,” Ejercito said in a statement.
He also maintained that railway projects must be fast-tracked first, before implementing major road repairs.
Traffic management
Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe said she trusts that the following weeks will be spent to reorganize a “comprehensive and efficient” plan for traffic management once the plan is implemented.
Poe, who once led the Senate panel on public services, also noted that concerned agencies might consider repairs done in phases and under a 24/7 scheme to speed up work.
“More consultations with concerned stakeholders and affected groups should also be conducted to gather more ideas on easing traffic while rehab is ongoing,” Poe said in a separate statement.
Lastly, Senator Joel Villanueva emphasized the importance of consultation among all sectors that will be affected by the rehabilitation.
“This would also allow all concerned government agencies to come up with more viable and inclusive solutions to cushion the impact on traffic,” Villanueva said in a separate statement.
Villanueva also said that he is one with the president in urging the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways, Metro Manila Development Authority, and other concerned agencies in enforcing more enhanced technologies to fast-track the rehabilitation from two years into six months.
“As the principal author and sponsor of the Telecommuting Act, we would also like to appeal to both the public and private sectors to consider alternative work arrangements, such as remote work, to help alleviate the burden on the workforce particularly in addressing the traffic congestion in Metro Manila,” Villanueva wrote.
Aside from the rehabilitation, the implementation of the dry run of odd-even scheme starting June 16 is also postponed./mr
