Christmas is just around, but traffic is worse

You don’t need to feel the nip in the air or go home in the evening seeing all the colorful lights on public streets to know that Christmas is really upon Metro Manilans. I just wish there was a way to avoide this avalanche of vehicles hogging the streets almost 20 hours everyday.

This is not surprising, of course, especially when the automotive industry reports there have been more than 250,000 new cars sold during the first 11 months of the year. With road space obviously not increasing as fast, our public officials need to think of creative measures to deal with the traffic.

We have more readers (yes, dealing with traffic is still a popular issue among Filipinos) contributing their ideas on how to deal with the annoying clutter of four-wheeled vehicles even before sunrise and way past midnight nowadays on major streets.

Bus stops and others

Let’s hear from them and hope concerned government officials will find some gems that can help in any way alleviate these monster traffic jams. Our first letter comes from Mario Fernandez. He writes:

“Just read your column… and I like to comment on the … suggestion to place the bus stop before the intersection.

“I would rather suggest to place it about 100 meters after the intersection. Since traffic is a time-and-space thing, if we put it before the intersection, all vehicles turning right will have to wait for buses to drop or pick-up passengers before they can turn right.

“If a motorist decides to overtake on the left, then he is causing a problem which might cause an accident from the incoming vehicle. The turning-right vehicles on the right portion of the intersection can easily turn right with caution. Case in point is Shaw Blvd. cor EDSA.

“Allow me to give other suggestions.

“1. Reconstruct all overpasses to have the elevated portion to continue downwards like in the case of C-5 corner Kalayaan and EDSA/Tramo going to airport. Notice that all vehicles going straight have to swerve to a small “funnel” and will become faster after that portion. Notice too that the elevated portion has less vehicles, again the time and space principle.

“2. Vehicles run freely or continuously if it tracks a single lane. But if the lane suddenly ‘disappears’ like the one overpass near the camps along EDSA and in front of Dasmariñas Village going south, if the government cannot recover the spaces, it will be better if it will just make the extra spaces for the stalled vehicles.

“3. Convert all MRT stations as bus stops by constructing overhead structures. In this case, if the buses will occupy the ‘vacant spaces’ that were formerly part of EDSA, the passengers will be lingering only on the common ground, hence no longer cause of traffic. It will make the bus operators more concerned with their maintenance since the places are elevated.

“4. I suggest the MMDA hires officers with driving knowledge. It is very hard to argue with a non-driver officer. Although Kalayaan in Makati is not under the MMDA, my license was confiscated allegedly due to ‘beating the red light while it just turned yellow.’ I was at the right portion near the officers, while two more at my back left hurriedly and evaded them.”

For main roads

Our second letter sender is Manuel E. Enicola Jr., who writes, “Here is my two-cents’ worth on how to alleviate traffic congestions in Metro Manila:

“For main roads with six lanes or more: fence off the two middle lanes and make them dedicated public utility lanes (ala BRT) for the exclusive use of jeepneys and buses.

“Since these are in the center lanes and fenced-off, passengers are ‘forced’ to alight and ride in designated areas, while drivers would race to the next designated stop. The fences will also prevent drivers from making ‘balagbag’ [obstructing] giving free flow to private vehicles. 

“Effect: fast movement of vehicles with a ‘forced-disciplined’ commuter.

“For roads with less than six lanes but with parallel roads/routes: assign a dedicated public utility road for jeepneys, tricycles and buses. In other words, magrambulan man sila, walang damayan [if they obstruct the flow of traffic, private vehicles are not affected].

“For critical arteries such as EDSA: impose a car ban along EDSA during rush hour, say, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The idea is to decongest EDSA of commuters in the shortest possible time so that private vehicles can move freely afterwards. 

“Note commuters will most always wait in the middle of the street further reducing road space, while the next bus has been delayed by already heavy traffic congestion – a vicious cycle that needs to be addressed.

“Note these are temporary measures until an affordable, efficient mass transport system has been established in the whole of Metro Manila.”

PPP for major roads

Our third letter sender, Gil Zarcilla, wrote: “May I suggest a private-public partnership in selected major roads in all cities in the National Capital Region and Calabarzon. There is vast potential available for private companies to participate in monitoring traffic flows, operations and reporting via the use of cameras, videos and pictures (just like what we do in expressways).

“Instead of building motorways, they can be tapped to manage selected road or highways paid for by performance levels. Participating companies will invest in their own sophisticated road cameras and monitors. They can report traffic violations via evidence gathered through videos and pictures. We can even start with no contact citations and pay their road fines when renewing with LTO.

“We can somehow also solve the problems of understaffing of traffic personnel 24 hours a day. Hope you can relay it to authorities better than I can.”

Taxi stands

Yvonne S. Yuchengco wrote: “One suggestion I have is to place taxi stands in strategic areas in different local government units. You hit two birds with one stone: you lessen cars on the road and you can monitor the taxis better. This way they cannot be choosy.”

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.