The first problem is transportation

The chaos that commuters faced last June 1, the first day of GCQ, continued as the week progressed. This is now a headache for government officials especially the transportation department and the MMDA. The obvious lack of public utility buses should have been foreseen by officials who had more than two months to study the easing of quarantine in Metro Manila. I mean, if long queues were already present before, what more when the capacity of the trains was significantly reduced? Instead, they blamed the riding public saying they should get used to the new systems. Social distancing was at best difficult to follow with a throng of commuters trying to find a ride to work. Work that many wanted to get back to. Only 90 buses were allowed to ply EDSA and were only designated four stops from North Avenue to Taft. Public utility jeepneys are still prohibited from plying their routes. On June 21, the second phase of the transportation system will commence allowing modern jeepneys to run. As for the old kings of the road? No news yet. They have been constantly begging to get back on the road after being without income for almost three months. What a mess.

Many adjustments will surely be made to iron out the kinks in the system. There is a definite need to increase the number of buses on EDSA as the number of passengers per bus has been reduced. The MMDA is set to designate 16 stops for the buses corresponding to MRT stations. This is to give passengers a way of crossing to the other side. What if a passenger has difficulty negotiating stairs? Hopefully, the elevators will work but I am not holding my breath.

To say that the public has lost focus on the first day of GCQ is uncalled for. For almost three months, many have been without wages. Not all companies were able to continue giving salaries. The eagerness to get to work was met with the transportation inadequacy that the government provided. Those who chose to use bicycles were also met with warnings even rebukes and threats from the government. There was a suggestion that a sidecar is attached to the motorcycles of married couples to prevent riding behind. Easier said than done and by the way, tricycles are not allowed on national roads like EDSA. So much for that idea. Bicycles should use sidewalks. Seriously? Do we even have sidewalks anymore since the invasion of vendors?

June 21 is when the second phase will be implemented when supposedly more modes of transportation will be allowed, particularly routes other than EDSA. I can see the same chaotic scenario where commuters will be stranded after hoping rides will be easier to get. The transportation secretary said all these problems are temporary. I agree, but only until the virus goes away. We can all guess as to when that happens.