The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has recorded 31 EDSA accidents as motorists collided with concrete barriers on the highway this June. Despite this, the MMDA has no intention of removing or replacing the plastic barriers.
Mark Salazar reported on GMA News “24 Oras” on Tuesday that the accidents were recorded from June 1 to 22. Of that, 20 accidents occurred between 6 p.m. until before 6 a.m., where there is free traffic flow.
According to MMDA spokesperson Celine Pialago, it is possible that drivers did not notice the barriers due to the speed of their driving.
“Maiiwasan po ang aksidente kung tayo po ay mananatili lamang sa ating lane, hindi po tayo mag over-speeding kapag madaling araw at ‘yun po ‘yung dahilan kung bakit nagkakabiglaan po doon sa mga nasabing concrete barriers,” she explained.
(We can prevent accidents if we stay on our lane, and there would be no over speeding at dawn because it is when they were surprised by the concrete barriers.)
The official added that they would not remove the barriers because “the concrete barriers are not at fault.”
Concrete barriers are also reflectorized, so motorists should see them as well.
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“Inalis po natin ‘yung mga orange [plastic] barriers kasi ito po nililipad kapag malakas po ‘yung hangin at ulan. Diyan po naiintindihan natin na mabubulaga po ‘yung mga motorista,” said Pialago.
(We remove the orange [plastic] barriers because they fly when the wind and rain are strong. That’s where we understand that motorists could be caught off guard.)
However, the agency did not answer the question of whether the design of concrete barriers conformed to the international road safety standard.
The MMDA, in turn, will place 16 more solar-powered warning lights on the concrete barriers that separate bus lanes and lines for private vehicles.
According to Spot.ph, 17,382 of the 121,771 road accidents MMDA recorded in 2019 happened in EDSA alone.
“Five accident-prone areas along EDSA were cited in the report: Between Arnaiz Avenue and Ayala Avenue in Makati City; the intersections of Shaw Boulevard and Ortigas Avenue in Mandaluyong City; and between Aurora Boulevard and P. Tuazon Boulevard in Cubao, and between Timog Avenue and Kamias Road in Quezon City,” it added.