A lawmaker is floating another idea to lick the problem of traffic on EDSA.

To solve the worsening traffic, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice has proposed to ban all private vehicles along EDSA from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. to give way to public utility vehicles.

During the budget hearing of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for 2020, the congressman suggested to turn the entire stretch of EDSA into a “mass transport highway” for public utility vehicles (PUV) to accommodate commuters during rush hour.

“We should give priority to our ordinary citizens and workers, or those who are poor and from the middle class who have no vehicles,” Erice said.

The lawmaker claimed that his proposal would help decongest the traffic along Metro Manila’s busiest highway.

However, Erice clarified that his proposal will only be an “immediate and temporary solution” while the government is working to complete the construction of the NLEX and SLEX connector as well as the Metro Manila subway and the Metro Manila Transit Line 3.

The MMDA has been receiving unsolicited proposals to decongest EDSA, such as implementing a coding scheme based on color and even brand. A mechanical engineer also proposed to convert the whole of EDSA into a southbound thoroughfare, with C-5 as northbound.

According to MMDA, more vehicles have been added to the daily traffic volume as of August 2019 and is expected to further hike with the approaching Christmas season. An average of 427,000 vehicles daily are expected to use EDSA beginning this month. – With Delon Porcalla/STAR