Do you agree that vehicle volume on EDSA decreased? [Poll of the Week]

Rising fuel prices result in fewer cars on the road, MMDA says.

Traffic along EDSA returned to its usual stop-and-go movement when COVID-19 restrictions started to be less stringent. The Alert Level 1 status allowed more people to go out while companies started to implement a return to office setup that resulted in higher vehicle volume on EDSA.

EDSA Estrella Are there fewer cars on EDSA lately?

But, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) previously said that vehicle volume along EDSA has reduced; with lower numbers compared to the average daily volume before the COVID-19 pandemic happened. The MMDA cited that the reduced vehicle volume on EDSA is due to the rising fuel prices.

The MMDA’s data suggest that as fuel prices go up, fewer vehicles are seen traversing EDSA. The agency estimated that around 392,000 vehicles drove through EDSA on June 9, 2022. The said number is lower compared to the 417,000 vehicles that traversed EDSA on May 5.

What’s more interesting is that the estimated 392,000 vehicles that drove through EDSA last June 9 are lower compared to the volume during pre-pandemic. Citing MMDA’s data once again, the agency said that vehicle volume along EDSA during the pre-pandemic is 405,882.

EDSA vehicle volume pre-pandemic vs pandemic MMDA's data on EDSA vehicle volume

As such, the numbers translate to having 3.5 percent fewer cars traveling along EDSA compared to the pre-pandemic daily average. And the MMDA says that the rising fuel prices is the cause of the reduced vehicle volume on EDSA. MMDA chairman Romando Artes previously said that some vehicle owners opt to take public transportation instead of driving their personal cars to save on fuel costs.

It’s no secret that fuel prices are on a steady rise, with oil companies expected to implement another price hike this week. Cleanfuel said that diesel prices will increase by Php 3.10 per liter this week while gasoline will have a price bump of Php 0.80 per liter.

Last week, diesel prices went up by more than Php 4 per liter while gasoline got a spike of Php 2.30 per liter. This shows that fuel prices in the Philippines are continuing its upward trend.

That said, do you agree with the MMDA’s data that vehicle volume on EDSA has decreased due to the rising fuel prices? Cast your vote now in Philkotse.com’s Poll of the Week.