Hostaged by illiterate drivers

“Ownership of a number of vehicles is not indicative of use.”

When Secretary Art Tugade explained some of the DOT’s plans and projects at the Senate, he undoubtedly communicated things boldly, frankly and effectively. But he should have stopped there and focused on getting what he presented off the ground by making his posse of bureaucrats go to work Pronto! Unfortunately, he had to voice out “an idea”; the one where they are thinking about increasing or doubling the registration for second or additional vehicles bought by current registered vehicle owners.

I liken that gamble or error, to a marksman or sniper who in spite of his exceptional skill and hits, will ultimately miss. It was just a matter of time. Secretary Tugade was clearly speculating but at a time when everything is essentially just a wish list with barely no deliveries made, that amounts to poking the beehive just to see if they’ll chase you.

For starters, Secretary Tugade knows enough people who have anywhere from 9 to 90 cars, but that does not mean they get to use all of them. Most of us can’t even get anywhere in one car because we are constantly “Lost In Place” on EDSA. Unfortunately Secretary Tugade’s musings immediately translates as “another tax collection” of the Duterte administration, something that is apparently in the horizon.

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My friend James Deakin in the Motoring section hit the bull’s eye when he said that one of the simplest and quickest solutions to traffic problems in the country “Is right under our noses.” The solution is Discipline. Deakin has been a long time advocate for traffic safety, discipline and technology as well as a Motoring Journalist. His recent posts on Facebook bats for government to discipline drivers who counter flow, who illegally double park “thinking putting on their emergency flasher makes it legal.”

Millions of Filipinos support the many plans of Transportation Secretary Tugade but we need to start with the do-able NOW while we incubate the PPPs, pass the law for Emergency Powers, and build the transport system to solve our nightmare. A tricycle driver or a bunch of counter flowing drivers should not have the power to ruin billions of pesos in infrastructure investments because no one wants to discipline them.

Just to bring home the point, allow me to share my observations during road trips to provinces. Last weekend, I went with the BMEG Fiestahan team to Tayabas, Quezon where we hosted a training/seminar on Backyard Hog Raising. During the trip, we tried out various short cuts, billion peso By-Pass roads from Lipa City to Alaminos and another one from San Pablo City back to Lipa passing through Malarayat Golf and Country Club. The roads were cemented and at least four lanes wide and just wonderful short cuts. Whatever time we saved through the By-Pass roads we lost due to tricycles that insist on staying in the middle of the road out of ignorance and habit.

Last Sunday, I drove through the old highway of Lipa City that was widened and cemented during the term of Mayor  then Governor Vilma Santos and former Congressman Mark Mendoza. For the longest time I have appreciated the six-lane road that even had an island and service road to separate the tricycles so they don’t go to the middle lane. But after spending billions and billions of pesos to widen and pave our roads and highways, the entire work for progress is sabotaged by illiterate tricycle and jeepney drivers who insist on driving on the middle of the road, who hog the fast lane and who violate every rule book of driving and safety but NOBODY pays attention to the damage they do in terms of delay and causing or forcing other drivers to take risks passing or overtaking them.

In Quezon Province, it is mind boggling to observe that these tricycles, who should not be on national highways or main roads can delay bus trips or material deliveries by as much as 45 minutes to an hour depending on how long you have to traverse a national highway. This situation is not just in Quezon Province; I’ve observed it in Bulacan, Laguna, Tarlac, Pangasinan and Batangas, even in Pasay City, Pasig and Quezon City. At the very least they should be kept on the side of the road. The problem is Governors and Mayors and Traffic Management Officials don’t want to touch them because they translate to votes. I’ve heard of many Barangay Captains and City mayors who’ve lost in an election simply because tricycle drivers association and jeepney confederations campaigned against them.

The only way to get control of the situation is if DOT Secretary Tugade, the LTO Chief and the DILG Secretary Mike Sueno all decide to take back control of the matter at two levels. First take back the National Roads and Highways and remove tricycles from those roads by virtue of a Presidential proclamation because this will give LGUs the excuse to do their jobs without becoming unpopular. They can conveniently blame it on Duterte the same way many kids have started to call their parents and teachers as “Duterte” for being disciplinarians!

Secondly, The LTO MUST NO LONGER ALLOW AUTOMATIC RENEWAL of licenses for all commercial/professional drivers. All tricycle drivers should be required to have a PROFESSIONAL drivers license and undergo real training, education and ACTUAL testing even if they have to go to the AAP or Automobile Association of the Philippines or driving schools to be tested. The level of difficulty will also make them value their license. In Metro Manila, motorcycles and scooters used to have their own lane but the MMDA gave up on that as they have with many ningas cogon solutions. DPWH Secretary Mark Villar must also prioritize acquiring and installing weighbridges all over the country but especially for roads and entry points to cities and provinces where huge trucks that are overloaded habitually go. The destruction they have caused to our roads and budgets need to end now.

The answer is not just “under our noses”; we also have to deal with the problem drivers who are often right in front of us. Time to end this hostage situation with the double tap of Discipline and Political Will.

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