Motorists can now navigate Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares with their iPhone and iPad devices again, after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)’s updated app made it to Apple’s App Store.

The MMDA’s updated app, version 2.0.3, went live on the App Store as of Wednesday morning, Manila time.

“MMDA iOS app v2.0.3 is out. Update fixes 2012 bug. Also includes updated UVVRP FAQ (frequently asked questions on the number coding scheme) and MMDA Directory, (and) new Impoundable Violations FAQ,” MMDA traffic discipline office head Yves Gonzalez said on his Twitter account.

A description of the updated app said it allows users to:

• View the traffic situation in System, Map or Line View
• Includes EDSA, C5, SLEX, Roxas Blvd, Ortigas, Commonwealth, Marcos Highway, Katipunan, Espana, and Quezon Ave.
• Share or Report traffic info via Twitter
• View problem areas so you can avoid them
• See MMDA FAQs built-in for your guidance
• Includes MMDA Directory

The MMDA said its iOS app is the first Philippine government agency mobile application that allows one to view Metro Manila’s traffic situation in an easy to use and convenient app.

According to the App Store, the app is an 8.8-mb free download, in English and German.

It runs on Apple devices running iOS 4.0 or later.

Earlier, Gonzalez cited complaints by iPhone and iPad owners that their apps were not updating starting the New Year.

Gonzalez said they traced the problem to a bug that instructed the app to download updates only in 2011 – making it stop updating in 2012.

“2012′s 1st lesson for me: Code for all time, not just the current year. The MMDA app v2.0.2 code literally had a ’2011′ string hardcoded,” he said in a post on his Twitter account.

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The country’s alternative fuels industry has drawn support from several notable foreign companies, including LG Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., Yamaha Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Hitachi Ltd., a government official said.

Energy Undersecretary Loreta Ayson said Friday Ricardo plc, an engine and electric vehicle maker based in the UK, had expressed interest in the e-vehicle project of the government.

She said Yamaha was interested in assembling e-vehicles while Toyota plans to develop charging stations.

Ayson said Hitachi, meanwhile, offered to supply electric motors, while Nissan, Sanyo, Dow Chemicals, LG and GB Systems proposed to produce lithium ion batteries.

“For electric tricycles, foreign investors are looking at setting up businesses here. Malaysian companies are interested in assembling e-trikes locally,” Ayson said.

She said bus operator Pantranco would also participate in the alternative fuels program with plans to field 1,000 buses fueled by compressed natural gas.

“Pantranco’s plan is still under study because they have to identify source of fuel,” Ayson said.

She said South Korean companies led by members of the Korea Association for Natural Gas Vehicle, including Korea Gas Technology Corp., had expressed interest to participate in natural gas-fed vehicles.

The Energy Department is formulating the Alternative Fuels Roadmap that will serve as the fundamental policy framework on diversifying fuels for transport use in the Philippines.

The plan, which is supported by the Asian Development Bank, sets out specific timelines and targets for utilization of alternative fuels in the Philippines.

The department is finalizing the Fueling Sustainable Transport Program as the mechanism to implement the plan.

The FSTP seeks to convert public and private vehicles from diesel and gasoline to CNG, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and electric power.

“With the FTSP, the government hopes to reduce the carbon footprint of road transport in the Philippines,” the department said earlier, noting that road transportation accounts for around 50 percent of the total air pollutants in the country.

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In line with its alternative fuel campaign, the Department of Energy has thrown full support behind the Gitano electric sports car, a Filipino-designed vehicle that is expected to make waves in the European motoring scene.

In a letter addressed to Gitano designer and prototyper Michel Motorsport’s president Jan Kierulf, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras noted that the e-sports car would bring pride to the Philippines and put it on the global map of e-vehicle development.

“It is a source of pride that our country is helping to lead the electric vehicle movement. As we informed you during our meetings, it is part of the department’s policy to support the development of the local electric vehicle manufacturing industry. As such, we fully support your plan to cause the manufacture of high quality electric vehicles,” Almendras said.

The Gitano, or the GT111, is now in Las Vegas for the Special Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show from November 1-4. The prestigious trade show will feature more than 1,500 customized and accessorized four-wheel and two-wheel vehicles from all over the world.

Kierulf said that having a Filipino-designed e-sports car showcased at the SEMA Show was a huge opportunity for the Philippines to show the Filipino’s design talent, creativity, and craftsmanship.

He noted that, with the right support in place, the Philippines had the potential to become the “Milan of Asia” in the area of vehicle design.

Initially developed as a “halo project,” or an initiative to create awareness and attract investor attention, the GT111 concept car is intended to be produced in commercial quantities and sold in the European market.

The Filipinos’ competence in the design arena had been largely untapped in the vehicle sector, so there was an urgency for local companies such as Michel Motorsport to step up to the plate and show the world what Filipinos were capable of in terms of conceptualization and design, said Kierulf.

“At Michel, we do everything from auto business incubation, engineering, design, product development, prototype fabrication, and specialty low-volume production services for the mass transport, auto and architecture sectors. Our competencies are in styling, engineering, and conceptual design. All of these are done by Filipinos,” he said.

The GT111 is a joint effort among companies from different countries: the Filipino firm Michel Motorsport for the concept, design, pre-engineering activities, and business planning; a British company for the chassis, suspension, and vehicle standards; and an American firm, EV Drive Oregon, for the electric power train development.

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Commuters and motorists may now get real-time traffic updates from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) with its new Internet-based traffic navigator system.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the system can help motorists and public utility drivers make informed decisions on what routes to take.

“They can now avoid heavy-traffic areas, which will be a great help for us to decongest the roads,” Tolentino said in a news release posted on the MMDA website.

Initially, the system will cover:

• Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) from Balintawak to Mall of Asia
• C-5 road (from Market!Market! to Libis flyover)
• South Luzon Expressway (from Nichols to Alabang Exit)
• Roxas Boulevard (from Coastal Road to Anda Circle)
• Quezon Avenue (from Philcoa to Mayon Street)
• España Avenue (from Welcome Rotunda to Lerma).

“We are adding Ortigas Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, and Marcos Highway soon, and possibly the city streets, in coordination with the local government units, in the near future,” Tolentino said.

According to the MMDA, the “Navigator” can be accessed through the MMDA website www.mmda.gov.ph or through TV5′swww.interaksyon.com.

The Metro Manila Traffic Navigator project was developed through a public-private partnership between the MMDA and TV5.

Under the setup, the MMDA will have a six-member Traffic Navigator Team on duty 24/7 at the agency’s Metrobase. It will operate and maintain the digitized traffic information database.

CCTV setup

The system relies on the MMDA’s closed circuit televisions (CCTVs) to get the traffic situation in an area.

It will get support from reports sent in by traffic enforcers in the field, especially in areas where there are no surveillance cameras.

Tolentino said that the Navigator does not require Global Positioning System (GPS) for accurate data as users only need an Internet connection to access it.

He added the Traffic Navigator will be useful for the public to plan their trips accordingly and to save fuel and time.

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The Quezon City government has plans to impose speed limits on two or more major thoroughfares to make them safer and to instill discipline among drivers.

Mayor Herbert Bautista has directed the city’s Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) to study recommendations to impose speed limits on Quezon Avenue and Mindanao Avenue and other major thoroughfares before the city submits these plans to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Earlier, the MMDA imposed a 60 kilometer per hour (kph) speed limit on Commonwealth Avenue even before a spate of vehicular accidents that left numerous victims dead, including journalist Maria Lourdes “Chit’’ Estella-Simbulan.

On Mindanao Avenue, Bautista wants to impose the same 60 kph speed limit enforced aloong Commonwealth Avenue and an even lower speed limit along the Elliptical Road.

He said the move to impose speed limits on the city’s two other major roads forms part of the city’s effort to ensure the safety of commuters and pedestrians from road accidents that usually results from speeding and reckless driving.

Bautista is also keen on implementing the city’s own traffic management plan that will include the continuous conduct of seminars for drivers of public utility vehicles plying major Quezon City routes.

Meanwhile, Bautista requested liquor licensing and regulatory board chairman Alberto Galarpe to provide him with a copy of the ordinance on the selling and serving of liquors and its implementing rules and regulations to determine whether driving under the influence of liquor deserves stricter measures considering the rise of vehicular accidents in the city.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and the department of public order and safety will routinely provide the mayor with statistics on the information regarding vehicular accidents in the city.

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Following a series of deadly accidents there this month, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has deployed added traffic enforcement teams along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

In a radio interview Wednesday, MMDA spokesperson Tina Velasco said the added personnel are to be at their posts 24 hours a day, even as she said they had apprehended 74 violators since Monday.

Also, the MMDA is coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways to make Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City safer for motorists, commuters and pedestrians.

DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said he has discussed with MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino the possible use of better-designed delineators.

The 12.4-km Commonwealth Avenue has been dubbed “killer highway” due to the high number of vehicular accidents there.

Last May 13, journalist-professor Lourdes “Chit” Estella-Simbulan was killed after a bus rammed her taxi from behind. The driver, Daniel Espinosa, remains at large.

Before dawn Wednesday, an 11-year-old boy was killed after a pickup ran over him while he was crossing the road along Commonwealth Avenue.

On the other hand, the “killer highway” claimed four more lives Tuesday night after four suspected bus robbers were shot dead in an encounter with police there.

‘Emergency meeting’

Meanwhile, the MMDA said it was to meet with bus firms and the Department of Labor and Employment within the day to discuss a salary scheme for bus drivers.

On Tuesday, Tolentino had hinted at pushing a regular salary for bus drivers so they need not race each other just to get more passengers.

“We’re talking about more strategic measures this morning but coming from the incident last Friday … We’re taking stock of what happened,” Velasco said.

She also said the MMDA will be open to all options. “We’re opening our doors to all dialogue,” she said.

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Several oil players enforced “big-time” reductions on their pump prices at different times Saturday even as one of them hiked its price for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

The weekend price movement was initiated by Seaoil Philippines, which at 12:01 a.m. Saturday pulled down prices of diesel and kerosene by P2 per liter.

The rollback also covered prices of premium and unleaded gasoline, which were slashed P1.50 a liter and those of regular gasoline, which was dropped by P1 per liter.

Other independent players Total Philippines imposed a similar rollback at 6 a.m. while Unioil Petroleum Philippines, Inc. (UPPI) said it matched the cutback of its rival oil companies.

Meanwhile, Total, a major LPG player in the local market, said it increased its cooking gas prices by P1 a kilo at around the same time.

Among the “Big Three” oil firms, only Pilipinas Shell announced a price adjustment as of press time Saturday afternoon.

In a text advisory, the oil giant said that it would slash pump prices by the same increments effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday. Reports also said that Petron will also join the rollback bandwagon.

Chevron Philippines (formerly Caltex) has yet to announce price tweaks as of press time.

Despite this, Saturday marked the first time this year that oil companies implemented back-to-back reductions on pump prices. Luckily for consumers, both adjustments have been significant ones.

Citing the decline in international product prices, local oil firms last May 7 rolled back diesel by P1.75 a liter; kerosene by P2 a liter, unleaded gasoline by P0.50 a liter and regular gasoline by P1.25 a liter.

The average prices of fuel in Metro Manila are now as follows: P46.50 a liter for diesel; P56.50 a liter for unleaded and P55 a liter for kerosene.

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The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) advised motorists to take alternate routes as repair work on the Buendia-Osmeña Flyover in Makati City begins at 9:00 p.m. on Friday.

In its advisory, the MMDA said the northbound lane of Osmeña highway (crossing Buendia Flyover) will be partially closed because the Department of Public Works and Highways is set to conduct repair works.

According to the MMDA, the public may take the following alternate routes to avoid inconvenience:

Northbound:

• From South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), turn left to EDSA, right to Roxas Blvd., to destination.
• From SLEX, turn right to EDSA, left to Ayala Avenue, left to Metropolitan Avenue, left to Vito Cruz, to destination.

Southbound:

• From Port Area or Roxas Blvd., turn left to EDSA, to destination.
• From South Superhighway, turn right to Estrada St., left to Alejo Aquino/Filmore/Dian, left to Faraday/Honduras/Rockefeller, to destination.
• From South Superhighway, turn right to Vito Cruz, left to Alejo Aquino/Filmore/Dian, left to Faraday/Honduras/Rockefeller, to destination.
• From South Superhighway, turn right to Arellano/Casino, left to Alejo Aquino/Filmore/Dian, left to Faraday/Honduras/Rockefeller, to destination.

For its part, the DPWH said the southbound lane of the flyover shall be opened to two-way traffic.

Motorists can also use the at-grade road section along Osmena superhighway, the DPWH said.

The DPWH advised motorists to take other routes such as EDSA (from Roxas Boulevard to Magallanes Interchange) and Roxas Boulevard (from P. Burgos St./Luneta to EDSA).

Earlier, the MMDA said it has approved a proposed repair and rehabilitation plan for the Osmeña Flyover in Makati City that may take three to four months.

The MMDA said the project duration is 120 calendar days, but the DPWH and the contractor said they will try to finish it by 90 calendar days.

According to MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, the project will congest traffic but will bring good it can bring in the long run.

“The public needs to understand that the structure badly needs repair because it was built and used for almost 30 years now, and definitely, it is no longer safe as it was before. To delay its repair poses greater damage, especially during earthquakes,” he said.

Also, the MMDA will continue to deploy the usual number of enforcers assigned to the area.

“We will deploy additional traffic enforcers if and only when needed,” Tolentino said.

Safer infrastructure

DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said the P46.67-million flyover project is in compliance with President Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s goal of sustaining economic growth by providing safer basic infrastructure.

Singson also said the contractor, Tokwing Construction, was given four months to finish the flyovers’ structural safety works.

“Upon its completion, further damage to the bridge will be prevented providing more quality and safer structure especially during earthquakes,” the DPWH said.

The project covers epoxy injection of cracks, repair of bridge deck superstructure by epoxy grouting of spalled concrete, and fiber reinforcement polymer (FRP) along with the reconstruction of railings, construction of median barriers and installation of electrical bridge lightings.

Other flyover repair works also included are scraping or scarifying and removal of the existing asphalt pavement of the flyover, re-paving of the bridge deck with asphalt and replacement of the base and sub-base materials for the approaches.

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While the other oil companies seesawed on price adjustments this week, independent player Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc. went on with its own marketing strategy by offering price discounts over the Holy Week duration.

In a statement, the company noted that for every P1,000 petroleum product purchases at its participating stations, the customer can avail of P50 worth of discount.

In this period when pump prices are relentlessly rising and which subsequently exert inflationary pressures on the cost of other basic commodities, consumers are resorting to all kinds of approaches on how they can penny-pinch just to stretch their budgets.

Unioil Petroleum pointed out that its Holy Week discount takes the form of a “corporate social responsibility” mission, noting that this is its way of “giving back to our loyal motorists that always gas up in our retail stations.”

“Since the Lenten season started last Monday we are now giving away free 50 pesos worth of gasoline products with a 1,000 peso-single receipt from any of our participating stations nationwide except Unioil Airport Road,” the oil firm said.

At the very least, the company noted that “since the public are about to go on a vacation we tried to ease the burden of the consumers by giving back discounted price for them to enjoy the holiday vacation.”

This week marked the oil companies’ varied approaches to pricing – some have increased their prices at the pumps, others opted not to move while oil major Chevron rolled back a previous adjustment.

Nevertheless, as deregulation policy works on the dictates of market forces, it has been observed that ‘price matching’ were actually the norm at the gasoline stations. Even for the oil companies which jacked up their prices, they were forced to match the cheaper cost of their neighbor-stations or industry rivals just to sustain patronage of their customers.

And as price up-ticks appear to have no end in sight yet, the government has been resorting to various policy approaches on how to contain pump cost escalations; and similarly to appease the Filipino consumers who are already getting furious over the weekly oil price adjustments.

It has been experimenting on fuel assistance program to the proposed oil stockpiling, but all these seem not enough to cool down frayed nerves.

But as the country is heavily dependent on oil imports, it does not actually have much choice because the price triggers are generally coming from external factors.

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The Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) will be lifted on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said yesterday.

The number coding scheme will resume on April 25.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the four-day suspension of UVVRP will provide motorists an unhampered mobility while going to and from the provinces during the Lenten season.

Tolentino also advised the public to avoid EDSA and instead use the alternate or “Mabuhay” lanes which start at both north and south entry points of EDSA. Motorists may use MacArthur Highway, right turn to Samson Road, C-4/Letre, R-10, A. Bonifacio, Roxas Boulevard to their destination.

At the other end of EDSA, the Mabuhay lanes start at Coastal Road and South Luzon Expressway.

The MMDA will also deploy some 1,000 traffic enforcers at transport terminals and traffic choke points for the Holy Week. The public can also call Metrobase Hotline 136 for periodic traffic updates and requests for assistance.

The MMDA’s Facebook and Twitter account will be also open 24/7 during the Holy Week to accept and respond to inquiries.

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