Torre sets new goal as MMDA general manager: 5-minute response time to road accidents
As he settles into his new role as general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Monday vowed to shorten the response time of traffic enforcers to road crashes to five minutes.
Torre acknowledged that the No. 1 obstruction on the road in the metropolis—one of the most populous in the world with at least 14 million residents—is collision.
To work around this, he said the MMDA would “set benchmarks like five minutes for response [time and] 10 to 15 minutes for clearing.”
“One of our targets here is faster response, faster clearing when there is an accident,” he said in a press briefing. “It is necessary that there is no obstruction on roads, and the No. 1 cause of obstruction is collision. So, the faster the turnover, the better for us to go back to normal.”
Discipline a priority
Torre said he would also coordinate with other government agencies to allow the MMDA to investigate traffic accidents.
“So the MMDA will handle everything when there is an accident, from the response to the rescue … up to the investigation [and] clearing,” he said.
For his part, MMDA Chair Romando Artes said that the former Philippine National Police chief can also help the agency discipline erring traffic enforcers.
“We talked about prioritizing the discipline of our traffic enforcers,” Artes said. “Actually, many have already been charged … But this time, we will possibly be more strict under General Torre and the investigation will be more thorough.”
Artes did not provide other details on the number of erring enforcers and the charges they are facing.
According to him, the MMDA seeks to be involved in the planning, execution and implementation of infrastructure projects, including flood control works, in the metropolis in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“As you know, the DPWH is the one conducting the infrastructure projects insofar as flood control is concerned. It is only turned over to us once completed. But this time, based on discussions with General Torre, we want to be hopefully involved from the start,” he said.
Dual role
Torre will have a lot on his plate as he has also been designated the MMDA spokesperson.
“I’m confident that he will be able to fulfill his work,” Artes said, noting that Torre will be in charge of the MMDA’s day-to-day operations and lead initiatives on traffic management and public safety, as well as solid waste management and flood control.
Torre himself admitted that transitioning from the uniformed service to the MMDA is a “challenge.” But he said he sees his new role as “an opportunity to serve … an opportunity to perform in another capacity, so I took it.”
“The way I see it, the entire government machinery is a big team. Like in basketball, it’s not every day that the coach will say you are the forward, or this is your role,” Torre said. “For me, what the coach says, we follow. I believe that there are no big or small roles. It’s all the same. All of it is public service.”
