‘101’ ways to solve traffic crisis

Former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman and now Marikina Rep. Bayani “BF” Fernando, or BF for short, was my guest in my Kapihan sa Manila Bay last Wednesday at Cafe Adriatico in Malate. BF shared with us what he calls the “101” ways to solve the Metro Manila traffic problem that is currently of crisis magnitude. President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier called upon leaderships in both chambers of the 17th Congress on the urgency to pass into law the proposed grant to him of emergency powers to effectively address the transport and traffic crisis in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

The proposed bill on the grant of emergency powers seeks, among other things, the unobstructed implementation of massive infrastructure projects from construction of new roads, highways and airports to enhance the travel and mobility of people, goods and services. The bill, once passed into law, would designate the Secretary of the Department of Transportations (DOTr) as the so-called “traffic czar” and not the MMDA chairman.

BF admitted he is ambivalent about supporting this bill. He noted with concern the bill tends to further marginalize the MMDA chairman as the government official supposed to be in charged of management and infrastructure support facilities in addressing traffic problems in Metro Manila.

However, he sneezes at the announced plans of the new MMDA chief, retired Gen. Danilo Lim to allow on fast lanes along the EDSA only high occupancy vehicles (HOV), or those with more than two passengers. With just five available lanes in EDSA, two of which are dedicated for public utility buses and motorcycles, BF noted such HOV would only add to the burden of MMDA traffic enforcers how to implement such when many of these cars and vehicles are heavily tinted.

What’s more funny is the reported MMDA plan, he chuckled, to impose speed limit along EDSA where traffic hardly moves due to congestion and bottlenecks.

BF noted the speed guns issued to MMDA enforcers become, more often than not, tools of corruption for unscrupulous ones. They calibrate the speed guns to instead extort from their victims willing to pay than be issued with traffic citation tickets.

Moreover, BF also finds impractical for the MMDA enforcers to implement the Anti-Distracted Driving Law.

Instead of trying to perform their main task of ensuring free flow of traffic, BF rued, the MMDA enforcers are on the lookout for drivers using their mobile phones while driving.

MMDA enforcers should be allowed “selective negligence,” or what BF described as ignoring these minor drivers’ violations if they are to effectively perform their duties to control and direct traffic.

During his watch as MMDA chieftain, BF recalled, his marching order to MMDA traffic enforcers was called “about face.” This required them to turn their backs on moving traffic and let drivers follow the traffic lights. MMDA traffic enforcers were instead facing the pedestrians to make sure vehicle movement would not be disturbed by jaywalkers and vendors plying their trades on the busy roads.

However, BF admits he has kept quiet all this time and avoided giving media statements regarding the traffic crisis in Metro Manila. In fact, according to him, attending the Kapihan sa Manila Bay was his first-ever interaction with local media after his unsuccessful bid to become Vice President of the country during the May 2010 elections. Being once the MMDA chief for quite a long time, he cited, the “sins” of the past could be pointed at his direction.

Although already a lawmaker, BF admits he is still trying to adjust to legislative functions like filing bills. At present, he is pursuing his bill to empower the MM Council to meet the legal requirements that debilitate the MMDA from implementing Metro Manila-wide ordinance. He said the House committee on Metro Manila development informed him his bill was already completed by the technical working group for submission to plenary on second reading.

Before his eight years stint as the MMDA chairman, BF served for nine years as Mayor of Marikina City. While BF was head of the MMDA, his wife, Marides run and won three consecutive terms as Mayor and continued his policies and projects in Marikina City. With a total of 18 years combined terms in office of the Fernando couple, the city of Marikina has unquestionably been turned into one of the highly urbanized cities in the Philippines.

It was with extreme awe and admiration when we had a tour of Marikina City going to a family reunion last Sunday with our relatives living there. After almost three decades of not having gone to Marikina City, I had a blast of how it has progressed this so much. The entire city is so clean and spunky and not a sight of any squatter shanty.

BF points to the huge transformation of Marikina into a bustling city as his guiding model to achieve his dream to replicate the same for the entire Metro Manila. BF stressed there is no secret formula except instilling discipline in the people and making the “bureaucracy work for them.”

BF could not care less by the “Hitler” or “dictator” tags on him by his most bitter critics when he tried to implement the same strict measures during his watch as MMDA chief.

He, however, could not give me an explanation why gasoline stations in Marikina City sell gasoline and diesel at much cheaper prices? Diesel is being sold at P35.90 per liter in Manila and other cities. But in Marikina, diesel is being sold at P32.90 per liter only. Gasoline is cheaper by almost P3 per liter also in Marikina. All gasoline stations we saw in Marikina City even offer 10 to 20 centavos less for their oil products in competing for customers against each other.

Why, is it that competitive pricing under the Oil Deregulation Law works only in Marikina City? Of course, it’s not because the city was once run by a “dictator” like BF but because of competition of market forces. But for sure, oil cartel pricing is not one of the “101” ways of solving traffic in Metro Manila.