A traffic rant

I recently threw a fit because of a jeepney driver one morning. He was picking up passengers in front of a no-stopping sign. Obviously, you're not supposed to do so. I honked my car horn as loudly as I can, he did the same. I wanted so badly to roll down my windows but my instinct was telling me he was not worth it.

That morning is a classic example of the state of drivers' discipline today. The licenses given out by the Land Transportation Office seem to be useless as more drivers ply the streets with no basic knowledge of how to behave properly on the road. I wanted so bad to make sure that driver knew what was right from wrong, but if I did that it would make me such a fool. Would LTO award me for the good deed? I don’t think so.

I live in Consolacion where traffic enforcers are everywhere but do not seem to know their jobs well enough. The main highway is the sacrificial lamb as motorcycles with drivers who have no helmets are given the priority on the roads. A three-kilometer distance from where I work takes me a 45-minute drive, sometimes forever. It is a town where skywalks are useless and pedestrian lanes seem to be inexistent. The enforcers of the law have no fangs. The local government unit should have an iron fist when it comes to traffic. Yes, it’s a perennial problem anywhere but mitigating measures should also be made.

I’m sick and tired of lame excuses, such as there is no solution to traffic. Really? How come other towns and cities in the country know how to make do with their situation? In the south, an accident happened in San Fernando where a bus suddenly stopped and the driver of an approaching truck failed to step on the brakes. It resulted to the damaging of a multicab from the other lane. Had the bus driver had the proper decency of signaling his light to a stop, then the accident would have been prevented.

It is at times like these when we need discipline the most. If we want to have a harmonious relationship on the road then we must learn how to respect boundaries such as following simple road rules. They were made for a reason, so that there would be order. What a shame. Other countries look at us like we are uneducated monkeys. Do we really want that?

I hope the LGUs will make a stand with the traffic problem. If there is political will then I am sure there would be order as we would want it to be. All the incidents that result to injury and death should be a wakeup call to them. Accidents happen but measures can be done to prevent it.