Everyday, I consider driving both as an experience and a challenge especially when using the traffic navigation app Waze, just like the TV show “Amazing Race”. One time, I had to be in Makati for dinner at around 7pm, but by 6:00 pm I still had unfinished paper works at my office in Santolan, Pasig. This gives me slightly over an hour to reach my destination.
Normally, I would take the C-5 route but knowing that it is a weekday rush hour, I decided to use Waze and check real time traffic conditions to look for alternate routes. True enough, from our Pasig office to Makati Avenue was a continuous hue of red and dark-red, reflecting the rush hour congestion.
According to Waze, if I leave by 6pm, I’ll reach my destination at around 8pm more or less, an hour past my dinner. For sure, hindi ako aabot. Thus I followed Waze’s suggestion to take the alternate route using inner streets. Inner routes should avoid reported standstill traffic along regular routes and potentially shave some minutes off my travel time and arrive in Makati at around 7:30 pm. I was aware it was a gamble to use inner streets and I was right, as usual. I have been driving Metro Manila for nearly 30 years and these situations are no longer new to me/ all of us. As I observed, the exact same situation is happening everyday in Metro Manila with motorcycles, pedicabs and tricycles causing unnecessary traffic. Are traffic enforcers giving them tickets for traffic violation?
Although traffic enforcers are visible in some intersections, traffic flow would constantly stall due to the proliferation of crisscrossing pedestrians and counter-flowing motorcycles, pedicabs and tricycles apparently nonchalant to the traffic they are causing and the potential accident they might cause. This is aggravated by the narrow streets and the presence stalls and vehicles that are double parked.
I’m sure we all see the increase in the number of motorcycles plying these inner streets nowadays, which might be a combination of private motorcycles and motorcycles used for businesses such as online shopping delivery, courier service, and on-demand app-based motorcycle taxi services.
Based on the figures released by Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA), an organization of motorcycle manufacturers in the Philippines and whose members are Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki, 2018 saw a huge 21% increase in motorcycle sales in the Philippines from 1,316,717 units sold in 2017 to 1,580,926 units sold in 2018.
Curiously, out of nearly 1.6M new motorcycles sold last 2018, how many are in Metro Manila? Clearly, our roads are not getting wider, vehicles are increasing and there is congestion. Does governing agencies mandated to regulate them have plans to implement new regulations to curb the increasing number of motorcycles and motorcycles being converted to tricycles?
Are motorcycles allowed to be converted to tricycles? Are local government units prepared to maintain traffic order in their respective territories?
For one, the DILG may start introducing measures to remind LGUs that barangays are empowered to impose in their respective territories road discipline and impose cash or non-cash penalties to traffic violators. According to the Local Government code of the Philippines “SEC. 384. Role of the Barangay. – As the basic political unit, the barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs … in the community…”, and SECTION 389. Chief Executive: Powers, Duties, and Functions. – (a) The Punong Barangay, as the chief executive of the Barangay government, shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions … (c) Maintain public order in the Barangay …“.
Maintaining public order includes promoting road discipline in their respective areas. It will be such a relief to the public if motorcycles, pedicabs and tricycles will follow simple traffic rules against counter-flow.
I am sure there are other measures similar regulatory agencies may implement but the barangay is the only political unit that exercises executive, legislative, and judicial powers. If the Barangay chair will exercise its power to enforce its political will against counter-flowing vehicles, then it might be the start of a new road discipline for drivers.
I arrived for my dinner well past 8pm, more than an hour from my appointment. Actually, in Metro Manila, you’ll never actually know for sure which route is the better alternative.
The author was a scholar of “Transport Planning” at the Galilee International Management Institute in Israel and finished his Executive Education program on “Strategic Management of Regulatory and Enforcement Agencies” at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government; He presently serves as Deputy Administrator for Engineering and Operations at the Light Rail Transit Authority.
Originally published by The Manila Times on May 30, 2019.
View the original publication at The Manila Times ↗