Should U-Turn Slots be Taken Out to Ease Traffic?

The leadership of the minority bloc at the House of Representatives expressed firm belief that removing all U-Turn Slots along EDSA will help improve traffic flow.

House Minority Leader Bienvenido "Benny" Abante said that aside from removal of u-turn slots, putting a dedicated lane to carpooling would also help ease congestion.

“I was thinking na tanggalin na 'yung mga U-turn na iyan and then 'yung fast lane should be dedicated to carpools,” said Abante. (I was thinking of removing the U-turn slots and the fast lanes be dedicated to carpools.)

Abante also added that then Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Bayani Fernando was responsible for opening the U-turn slots in EDSA.

This was part of the agency's measures to improve traffic flow. In fact, he even constructed elevated U-Turn slots--a first in the country--along C-5 Road.

Road Barrier That Causes Traffic

Over the years, the increasing number of vehicles in the Philippines have made these U-Turn slots a barrier that has caused more traffic congestion in EDSA.

“Many years back, Congressman BF, Bayani Fernando, made some U-turn’s sa EDSA. And that time syempre konti pa lang ang mga saskayan, but now it’s three folds,” added Abante. (Many years back, Congressman Bayani Fernando opened U-turn slots along EDSA. During that time there were less vehicles. The volume of vehicles, however, hand increased threefold.)

So how does he plan to implement a no U-Turn policy?

“At EDSA, Shaw Boulevard, tapos Quezon Boulevard, Cubao, they will turn right to Shaw Boulevard and then make a U-turn, but they cannot make a U-turn to EDSA, to go left,” Abante said when asked for an example on how the plan will be implemented.

However, Abante added that the government should place fast lanes for carpools in case the U-Turn slots are taken out of EDSA.

“I was thinking na tanggalin na ‘yung mga U-turn na ‘yan, and then ‘yung fast lane should be dedicated to carpools (I was thinking of having these U-turn slots closed and fast lanes dedicated to carpools)” House Minority Leader Bienvenido “Benny” Abante told CNN Philippines’ The Source.

The term "U-Turn" is called that way because the maneuver looks like the letter U. It's considered illegal in some areas, while in some, treated as an ordinary turn that's merely extended.

It can be remembered that U-Turns, together with the improper position of pedestrians along Commonwealth Avenue, have also been considered as "road hazards" by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).