Stressing there are too many cars and lack of infrastructure, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority told a House committee hearing Tuesday it is studying to expand keeping vehicles off the road twice a week.

“I think people should make some sacrifices. Maybe people cannot use their cars twice a week,” MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said.

Lim said he is studying this option.

“There are just too many cars in Metro Manila. There are 2.5 to 2.6 million registered vehicles, and this accounts for around 30 percent of all registered vehicles in the country,” Lim added.

A study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 2014 showed that economic losses due to traffic averaged P2.4 billion daily. “Without intervention, traffic costs will likely increase to P 6 billion from today’s P2.4 billion,” JICA said then.

Lim said the problem has been worsened with traffic enforcers leaving MMDA because they were not paid since February. Lim, former head of the Army Scout Rangers, was named MMDA chairman last month.

Lim told congressmen the road network in Metro Manila is not even five percent of the total national network.

“So we have more than 30 percent vehicles here where there is less than five percent national road network. With the volume, cars on the road should be reduced. It is difficult to solve this because lots of cars are being bought while roads are not being added,” he said.

Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, chairman of the House committee on transportation, took note that traffic in Metro Manila worsened after Lim was appointed to the post.

“I do not know whether this is just coincidence this is happening when you assumed your post or are there internal problems that you face,” said Sarmiento.

“Why has the number of passenger buses increased and your enforcers have decreased. Perhaps this why colorum vehicles returned because enforcers are lacking,” said Sarmiento.

Lim admitted traffic enforcers left the MMDA due to non-payment of their salaries since February. Their monthly salary is P6,000.

There are only 2,500 plantilla positions at MMDA, prompting them to hire 1,400 more traffic enforcers with a monthly pay of P6,000 which comes from the Road Board. DMS