MMDA to implement holiday season alternate routes starting Friday

MMDA Chairman Atty. Francis Tolentino manning the traffic (PNA Archive Photos)

MANILA — To ease traffic congestion in roads leading to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City and shopping malls this holiday season, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday announced the implementation of “Christmas Loops” starting Friday.

In a press conference at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the agency has identified four alternative routes each leading to the airport and shopping malls which they called, “Christmas Airport Loops and Christmas Shopping Loops”.

Tolentino said the agency is expecting thousands of people to go to the airport during the season as well as in malls for their Christmas shopping.

Neomie Recio, MMDA traffic engineering head, said the designated alternate routes under the “Christmas Airport and Shopping Loops” will start on December 5 until January 5.

The Christmas Airport loops are as follows:

Airport Loop 1 or Maroon Loop
From SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) to Domestic Airport
Take SLEX, Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Kabihasnan, Coastal Road (or take Dongalo Service road), MIA Road/NAIA Road then to Domestic Road to airport.

Airport Loop 2 or Violet Loop
From Manila/Makati Area to Domestic Airport
(Option 1) Take Roxas Blvd., Airport Road then Domestic Road

Airport Loop 3 or Green Loop
From Manila/Makati Area to Domestic Airport
(Option 2) Take SLEX/Skyway, Doña Soledad Avenue, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Kaingin Road, Multinational Avenue, Ninoy Aquino Avenue, NAIA Road, Domestic Road to airport.

Airport Loop 4 or Gold Loop
From Manila/Makati Area to Domestic Airport
(Option 3) Take SLEX/Skyway, Doña Soledad Avenue, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Kaingin Road, Multinational Avenue, Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Ninoy Aquino Avenue, then NAIA Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.

The Christmas Shopping Loops are as follows:

Shopping Loop 1 or Brown Loop
From SLEX to SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City
Take SLEX, Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Kabihasnan, Coastal Road, Pacific Avenue, Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, EDSA to SM Mall of Asia (MOA).

Shopping Loop 2 or Orange Loop
(Option 1) From SLEX to MOA
Take SLEX/Skyway, Doña Soledad Avenue, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Kaingin Road, Multinational Avenue, Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Kabihasnan, Coastal Road, Pacific Avenue, Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, EDSA then to SM Mall of Asia.

Shopping Loop or Red Loop
From Makati City to Quezon City (Northbound)
Take Estrella, Etrella – Pantaleon Bridge, Barangka Drive, Nueve de Pebrero, S. Laurel Street, A. Mabini, Wilson Street, Ortigas Avenue, N. Domingo, Doña M. Hemady, Scout Tobias, Scout Borromeo, Panay Avenue to EDSA in Quezon City.

Shopping Loop Blue Loop
From Quezon City to Makati City (Southbound)
Take EDSA, Scout Borromeo, Scout Tuazon, Scout Rallos, Mother Ignacia, Scout Reyes, Gumamela Bridge, Broadway (Dona Rodriguez), N. Domingo, PinaglabananP. Guevarra, D. Arellano Street, Shaw Blvd., Acacia Lane, F. Ortigas Street, Primo Cruz, Blumentritt, Coronado, to Makati–Mandaluyong Bridge.

Meanwhile, Tolentino said the agency started the deployment of additional traffic constables in shopping malls along EDSA last Nov. 28, due to the implementation of new mall operating hours.

According to Tolentino that all 15 malls along the stretch of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) will get 10 traffic enforcers each and two members from the Task Force Phantom.

The task force is composed of motorcycle traffic enforcers, mall security personnel and members of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG).

Tolentino said members of the task force will help in alleviating traffic congestion in the vicinity of shopping malls along EDSA.

The deployed enforcers are tasked to man the traffic flow and ease traffic gridlock in areas near shopping malls.

Tolentino said deputized shopping mall security personnel will also assist the MMDA traffic enforcers in manning the traffic in the area only for the holiday season. To prepare them for the job, mall security personnel completed a crash course on traffic management by the MMDA.

“The additional security guards hired by shopping malls were given crash course on traffic management,” said Tolentino.

The MMDA’s move came after mall operators agreed to extend their operating schedule by an hour.

The shopping malls’ new operating hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. that started last Nov. 28 up to January 3, 2015.

The MMDA noted that traffic volume usually rises 15 to 20 percent between November and December.

The adjusted operating hours were agreed upon by the mall operators with the MMDA to ease traffic congestion during the holiday season.

On December 24 and 31, malls will open at 12 noon and close at 7:00 p.m.

On Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year’s Day (January 1), the malls will be open from noon to 8 p.m.