If you regularly pass through Roxas Boulevard or Diokno Boulevard, be aware that a stop-and-go traffic scheme will be implemented on the said thoroughfares on April 20, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
An aerial view of Roxas Boulevard taken in 2019. [Photo: patrickroque01]
The purpose of the traffic scheme is to facilitate the smooth operations of the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit 2022. This event will be attended by numerous foreign dignitaries including former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon.
To ensure “relatively smooth traffic flow” regardless of the stop-and-go scheme, 415 traffic personnel will be deployed along the aforementioned boulevards. Then again, it is highly advised that motorists pick alternate routes to avoid delays.
Do note however, this is Roxas Boulevard we’re talking about. As some comments on the official Facebook announcement have pointed out, there are several establishments that can only be accessed via the said road. It is also a major avenue interconnecting several busy areas in Metro Manila.
To this end, a good number of motorists will still need to tackle the slower than usual flow of Roxas Boulevard during the announced time period. It also doesn’t help that Metro Manila traffic has already returned to “pre-pandemic levels” since the COVID-19 alert status in the capital has been downgraded to Level 1.
A portion of Diokno Boulevard [Photo: Ramon FVelasquez]
And if you’re unaware of what a stop-and-go traffic scheme is, think back to that time when it was also implemented on EDSA during the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games back in 2019. Specifically, the involved roads will be closed off whenever a delegate’s convoy passes through.
However, we expect that this stop-and-go scheme that will be implemented on Roxas Boulevard and Diokno Boulevard will not be as extensive as the one three years ago. This year’s event spans only one day, after all.
As we’ve said above though, take alternate routes if possible. For more car related news and automotive industry updates, stick with Philkotse.