MMDA urges malls to stop mall-wide sales to ease holiday traffic
Metro Manila Development Authority chairperson Don Artes said that they are requesting malls to stop rolling out mall-wide sales to ease traffic this holiday season.
"Kinausap din po natin yung mga LGUs regarding mall-wide sale, dapat po siguro ipagbawal din muna dahil nagkataon na pagkasara ng mall, sabay-sabay po naglabasan na talagang naging dahilan ng sobrang bigat ng daloy ng traffic," the MMDA chief said during a Palace briefing on Wednesday.
Artes stressed that while they are not blaming mall owners for the traffic, they are requesting that to stop the mall-wide sales, which would help ease traffic congestion.
"Hindi naman natin sinisisi ang mga mall owner. Ang sinasabi lang natin pinakikiusapan natin sila na kung maaari ay ‘wag mag mall-wide sale dahil nagko-cause talaga ng sobrang bigat na daloy ng traffic, na na-experience po natin last Saturday," he said.
"Hindi naman po natin ipinagbabawal ‘yung sale per se per store, ang ipinagbabawal lang natin ay ‘yung mall-wide sale," he added.
Artes added that mall owners agree that mall-wide sales cause traffic, and that it also affects the number of their visitors.
"Kapag sobra ang traffic, nawawala po ‘yung foot traffic sa kanila mga mall, nadi-discourage din pumunta ‘yung mga mamimiili at nakakabawas din sa sales nila," he said.
On Dec. 6, several motorists and commuters got stuck on Marcos Highway for hours due to the gridlock caused by a large volume of vehicles and counterflowing traffic. He assured that the agency will put additional deployment of enforcers, especially along Marcos Highway.
A few weeks before Christmas Day, several malls have implemented adjusted mall hours to manage the expected influx of shoppers and traffic. Most malls have shifted their operating hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, except for holidays and weekends.
