WHO IS IN CHARGE OF TRAFFIC AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL?

WHO IS IN CHARGE OF TRAFFIC AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL?

Ask around, and many will answer: “MMDA.” And strictly speaking, that isn’t wrong — for Metro Manila, that is. But our traffic woes do not stop at the city border. In fact, what was once just “Metro” Manila has expanded in reach, scale, and consequence. We are now coping with Mega Manila — and yet the mandates, the coordination, and the accountability for traffic management remain fragmented and local.

So who really is in charge?

The Illusion of a Single Traffic Authority

To many, traffic means Metro Manila, and traffic means the MMDA. True — the Metro Manila Development Authority is the lead agency for traffic and transport planning, enforcement and management within the metropolis. But its jurisdiction ends roughly at the periphery of “Metro.” Yet flow does not. Cars, buses, and trucks cross municipal and provincial lines every minute; congestion in Quezon City, Pasig, Makati often bleeds into Rizal, Bulacan, or Cavite and back again.

In that broader sweep — the arteries connecting “Mega Manila” — no single agency has unquestioned command. The DOTr (Department of Transportation) sets policies. The LTO (Land Transportation Office) handles driver licensing and registration. The LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board) regulates public transport franchises. On national highways, the PNP–HPG (Highway Patrol Group) enforces. Local governments manage local roads. And regional DPWH offices build and maintain national roads.

The result? Overlaps, jurisdictional tension, patchwork enforcement, and paralysis when a crisis demands swift, coordinated action.

The Case for a National Traffic Czar

In recent years, influential voices — especially business groups like MAP (Management Association of the Philippines) — have called for a “traffic czar.” This would be a presidential appointee empowered to coordinate and compel cooperation from all agencies: MMDA, DOTr, LTO, LTFRB, DPWH, PNP, and LGUs alike. Proposals even suggest the czar be given Cabinet-level stature. 

Former DOTr undersecretary and ex-MMDA head Thomas Orbos has argued that the traffic czar must be more than a figurehead: a manager, a coordinator, enforcer, communicator, innovator — and fearless enough to override local barriers when necessary. 

Yet not all agree. The MMDA has publicly said a traffic czar is unnecessary — that existing agencies suffice, if properly coordinated. Critics counter that coordination without power is toothless: local units can still defy orders or withhold cooperation if not held accountable.

A proposed House bill — “Appointment of a Traffic Czar” — would formally vest the role with powers, a salary at Department Secretary level, and a mandate to form task forces and issue directives. But passing and implementing such a law is no guarantee of success without political will, clarity of roles, and continuous data-driven oversight.

Data as the Unifying Backbone

If traffic is to be managed across Manila and beyond, we can’t rely on decrees alone. The czar (or interim leader) must wield data — and the wider the lens, the better.

Satellite and remote sensing data can transcend political boundaries: travel flows, congestion hotspots, speed heat maps, corridor-level demand can all be remotely monitored. Drone data can supplement where high resolution is needed. These are not fantasies — they are already used in many cities worldwide.

But we do not start from zero. In the Philippines, the UP National Center for Transportation Studies (UP NCTS) has been active in transportation modeling, simulation, traffic planning, and technical training. Their work includes development of local traffic simulators, contributing to intelligent transport system (ITS) research, and helping local governments with transport and traffic management plans. For instance, NCTS helped in the “MUCEP / MMUTIS” projects in Metro Manila to collect field traffic volume data and teach the methodology to local engineers. The czar’s office should integrate:

  • existing GIS and local city/province databases

  • Google Earth / Street View data

  • live mobility apps (Waze, Google Maps, etc.)

  • satellite and drone monitoring

And feed them into traffic models — such as the four-step travel demand models used in many planning studies. One research integrating ITS with a four-step model projected that by 2033, traffic volumes in Metro Manila could grow by 25%. Another JICA study used forecasts to plan national road networks through 2040. Without data, policy is guesswork.

What Should We Ask — and Demand?

  • Who among us has tried to cross the boundary from a suburban province into Metro Manila during rush hour? We know congestion doesn’t care about city borders.

  • Why do we treat traffic as a local grievance when it is a national economic drag? Time lost, fuel wasted, emissions worsened: these hurt GDP, not just commuters.

  • Can we accept that floods happen only when it rains — but gridlock happens rain or shine?

  • If we’re serious about a czar, can we commit to appointing someone with both the authority and the technical grounding — and, above all, integrity?

  • Why wait? Until the czar is formally appointed, the DOTr Secretary (currently acting: Giovanni Z. Lopez as of September 2025) should assume interim leadership and begin stitching coordination among agencies.

  • Can we also start small — by piloting data-driven traffic management zones or corridors — learning from other megacities like Singapore (ERP pricing), Seoul (smart traffic lights), London (congestion charge), or Stockholm (dynamic pricing)?

We are losing not just hours, but productivity, health, and money, every day, because our cities and suburbs choke on congestion. We desperately need a leader who can see the whole map, not just individual patches.

Until we designate a bona fide traffic czar with both the legal authority and the data-driven tools to govern across jurisdictions, I encourage citizens, academe, and civil society to keep pushing. Demand transparent dashboards, open data, corridor-level monitoring, and accountability. Encourage local governments to cooperate, not compete. Insist that whoever leads knows what it means to be stuck in traffic — because the best traffic czar must be a user, not just a manager, of our roads.

Traffic is no longer a local issue — it is a national test. If we don’t get leadership, data, and coordination right, we only get more gridlock.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com

02-07-2026

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