Metro's car counters help address 'world's worst traffic'

Perched on a flowerbox at a busy intersection in Metro Manila, Irna Lapriza's eyes jump from one car to the next, her fingers flying across manual tally counters as she logs each passing vehicle.

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Rain or shine, through floods and car exhaust pollution, the 41-year-old holds the fort as carmageddon plays out each day in the Southeast Asian metropolis infamous for its terrible gridlock.

Her tallies end up with the traffic engineers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), who design and propose inexpensive traffic solutions.

"We're happy with this job because we know how important it is. We don't mind it when people belittle what we do," Lapriza told AFP.

Her pink manicured hands rest on six linked cylindrical counters - each for a different type of vehicle.