A METRO Manila-wide medical mission organized by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) religious sect prompted the Department of Education to cancel classes in parts of the Metro.
When Dan Brown called Metro Manila “the gates of hell,” he surely didn’t have to look far. A journey from our antique airport to anywhere in the city would have convinced him. For motorists in the Metro, being stuck in monstrous traffic hell is reality, which is becoming more of a daily occurrence.
In the past two weeks, several incidents have highlighted just how much worse it could still be. Last Wednesday, a bomb scare involving a backpack thrown onto a bus in Pasay City brought Edsa to a standstill. Another bomb scare in Ortigas caused traffic to bog down on Friday. On Monday, a medical mission organized by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) religious sect prompted the Department of Education to cancel classes in parts of the Metro, a preemptive move to reduce the volume of traffic.
While the order to cancel classes may seem sensible on the surface, it really smacks of the lack of planning and a wrong sense of priorities. We suspect that the government dare not ask the INC to have the mission scheduled on a Sunday or the following day, which is a holiday anyway. Just like the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) suggestion to ban private cars for two days in a week, it’s a sign that the authorities have all but given up on the traffic situation.
HEAVY traffic at Jones Bridge, as hundreds of Iglesia ni Cristo members gather in Lawton, Manila. Photos by Niño Orbeta
Yet all is not lost. The solution is often in plain sight, needing only the political will and smart budgeting to be effective. Here are some immediately implementable ways to reduce traffic congestion:
1. Have a zero-tolerance policy for parking on major roads and highways. Customers of commercial establishments along C5 use portions of the highway as a parking lot. Barangay Libis has decided to permanently seize one lane of C5 near the flyover to serve as parking lot for its vehicles. Local government units should be forced to cooperate in clearing up our roads from these kinds of obstructions.
2. Improve the infrastructure. In multiple studies, U-turns have been shown as a sound way of reducing traffic, but the road has to be widened to take into account the space taken up by the U-turn slot.
3. Use what has already been built. In some cases, the infrastructure is already there but inexplicably left unused. Case in point is the end terminal of the MRT in Santolan, Pasig. A multimode transport terminal has been built below the Marcos Highway bridge just a few meters’ walk from the terminal. But instead, jeeps are given three lanes of the highway to load passengers, causing traffic jams every single day.
4. Give the MMDA some teeth and legs. Cito Beltran has published a wish list penned by MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino. The MMDA needs 5,000 enforcers, while it only has 1,600. He also needs 150 CCTVs, 100 motorcycles and 1,500 handheld radios. These are not massive expenditures, and are certainly worth investing in, if the result is better-flowing traffic. Requested approval powers, such as a seat at the Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board and permits for terminals, are logical.
5. Use technology effectively. Intelligent traffic lights which can detect and respond to changes in traffic situation, can be a big help. Traffic lights which can be controlled from a central base will also reduce the need to put enforcers on every intersection. New York City recently installed such a system in its midtown area for $1.6 million, a mere 0.7 percent of the misallocated Priority Development Assistance Fund.
The City of Manila recently announced a noncontact apprehension scheme, where traffic violations can be recorded using cameras. If effective, this technology can be rolled out everywhere. If motorists know that Big Brother is watching and will issue them a ticket, they will behave.
6. Hire the best brains in the land. Universities in the country contain massive brain power, and surely more creative solutions can be proposed and implemented.
7. Pay special attention to major thoroughfares such as Edsa, C5 and the expressways. Our columnist Botchi Santos recently cited a well-thought-out list on the chokepoints on Edsa. Traffic must flow quickly on these roads, almost at all costs.
The government is well aware of the costs of traffic congestion, citing economic losses of P137.5 billion in 2012, or P377 million every single day. Why not spend a fraction of that on preventing further loss of time, energy and health. Faster-moving traffic will go a long way in making us believe that Metro Manila can be a livable city.
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