(Eagle News)–At least two senators thumbed down the proposal to ban private cars on Edsa during rush hours.
“It’s not a well-thought out idea,” Senate President Tito Sotto said of Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice’s proposal to keep those vehicles from the main thoroughfare from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“He says dagdagan ang buses during that time, then where do you dump the thousands of buses that ply after 9 a.m.?” Sotto asked.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto agreed, and called Erice’s suggestion a “crazy idea.”
“I don’t take those seriously. Private car owners pay a lot of taxes. Excise, vat, duties , road users tax on vehicles and excise, vat on petroleum. Hundreds of billions a year,” he said.
Sotto said his suggestion to ban parking in Metro Manila streets from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. was still the best so far.
Upon assumption of office, President Rodrigo Duterte asked Congress to grant him emergency powers so he could address the traffic problems, but Senator Grace Poe refused.
Only recently, Poe, who is the chair of the Senate panel on public services, said she was still unconvinced the grant of emergency powers was needed.
She said Transportation Secretary Art Tugade should be replaced as he was “underperforming” with respect to addressing traffic problems.
“Pati ba naman trabaho ko pakikialaman niya?” Tugade fired back.
The Department of Transportation added traffic management was not within the agency’s purview.
