MMDA wants to remove countdown timers from traffic lights  

If you’ve noticed specific intersections in Metro Manila that have no traffic timers, there’s a reason for that. It turns out that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is already phasing out countdown timers.

The absence of countdown timers at many intersections is by design

This is because the agency reportedly plans to switch to an adaptive signaling system, that changes traffic lights based on the number of vehicles traveling through an intersection at any given time. 

“With the detector, the presence of vehicles will be sensed. If there are no vehicles that pass through from three to five seconds, the time will be cut. The light will then change,” said Francisco Pesino Jr., chief engineer of the Traffic Signal Operations and Maintenance Group under the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center.      

He explained that the traffic system currently operates in three basic modes: fully actuated, semi-actuated, and fixed-time. The countdown timers work in fixed-time mode as they do not conflict with the timing display. 

“Kapag fully at semi-actuated (modes), may conflict po ito sa ating detectors…Ang detectors ay nagbibigay ng time based on the actual volume of vehicles,” he said. 

(In fully and semi-actuated modes, this conflicts with our detectors…The detectors give time based on the actual volume of vehicles)

The change is part of the MMDA's traffic system upgrade

For now, only 50 to 60 percent of traffic lights are included in the system, which is why there are still timers in use on some intersections. “Within the next two to three years, we are aiming to work this out…We are really planning to remove the timers altogether, but those still operational are still being used for now,” according to Pesino.  

The reason for this, he adds, is that the timers are part of the MMDA’s project, and the agency wants to avoid being flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) over their absence. Pesino says that the timers were only implemented in 2013 when the MMDA’s previous server was destroyed, and that the decision to remove the timers is part of the agency’s system upgrade.   

Even with NCAP, traffic enforcers are still expected to help guide motorists 

Motorists have complained of traffic lights abruptly turning red while they were crossing intersections that have no countdown timers in place. Such cases have come to a head with the recent implementation of the no contact apprehension policy (NCAP) in several jurisdictions, raising doubts that the NCAP is just a money-making scheme for authorities.  

However, Pesino denied the accusation. “Hindi po totoo na green (light) tapos pagtawid ay nagre-red na. Meron tayong three seconds na dilaw. This is part of the green light time. Hindi sila pwedeng hulihin,” he countered.

(It’s not true that the green light turns red upon crossing. We have three seconds of yellow light. This is part of the green light time. They can’t be apprehended yet.)  

Find out about more traffic updates and upgrades at Philkotse.com.