Metro Manila residents were left exasperated and bewildered last night as unusually extreme traffic congestion brought the city’s major thoroughfares to a grinding halt.

Netizens took to social media platforms to vent their frustration, pointing fingers at the C5 southbound route, specifically the C5 Tollgate to SLEX, for being the epicenter of the vehicular nightmare that plagued the capital.

One Twitter user, Jun (@ryeongjoo), who experienced the traffic firsthand, voiced his disbelief, tweeting, “Intense ng traffic, akala ko nung una dahil lang sa umulan – pero something is wrong sa C5 Southbound. I mean, Ortigas lang naman ako nagwowork pero it took me more than 2hrs (kasama yung almost 40mins na paghihintay ng masasakyang jeep/UV) bago makauwi. Taga-Pasig lang din ako.” (The traffic was intense. At first, I thought it was just because of the rain, but there’s something wrong with C5 Southbound. I work in Ortigas, and it took me more than 2 hours, including the almost 40 minutes of waiting for a jeepney/UV ride, before I could get home. I’m also from Pasig.)

Another Twitter user, Dayang (@badeyaa), shared her harrowing experience, revealing, “grabe sobrang lala ng traffic sa C5 southbound. daming commuters na naglakad nalang at isa kame dun huhu buti nalang hindi maarte anak ko baba ko siya mula market to aura tapos naglakad siya sa mini park hanggang condo.” (The traffic on C5 southbound was extremely terrible. Many commuters resorted to walking, and I was one of them. Thankfully, my child didn’t complain as I made her walk from the market to Aura, then through the mini park all the way to our condo.)

Adding to the chaos, reports of flooding in certain areas of Metro Manila only compounded the already dire traffic situation, leaving motorists stranded and exacerbating the frustrations of weary commuters.

As dawn breaks, citizens are demanding answers from relevant authorities about the cause of this traffic nightmare. Was it a result of poor traffic management? Were there road accidents or construction projects contributing to the chaos? Or was there an unforeseen circumstance that caught authorities off guard?

The urgency to find solutions and prevent such incidents in the future is paramount, as countless individuals depend on efficient transportation systems to carry out their daily routines and livelihoods. Metro Manila, known for its notorious traffic conditions, has once again been thrust into the spotlight, begging the question of whether improvements can ever be made to alleviate the perennial gridlock.

As authorities scramble to address the traffic situation and determine the causes behind this midnight chaos, residents can only hope that swift action will be taken to prevent such disruptions from recurring. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates on this developing story as we navigate the tumultuous streets of Metro Manila in search of answers to this traffic conundrum.