traffic in Manila is the worst and a very hideous sight! in fact it paralyzes everything, your work and appointments. it will stress you out and i admit, it gets you old. imagine the pollution you will take when you are riding an open-air public transport. sweat and pollution combined will trash you out. dust will be your face powder and your sweat is the cologne. we call it here, HAGGARD.in order to resolve this problem, may i suggest some ways:
1. i hope there will be a bill prohibiting ALL car-buyers when they don't have a garage. chances are, they will park their vehicles on the streets eating up one lane. streets in Manila are small and mostly two lanes. the problem with Filipinos is that we indulge in luxury. boasting what we got to be the envy of everyone.
2. clear out the streets. that involves the sidewalk vendors, trashes and even unnecessary signages and posts. and i hope that local governments should take out islands in the middle of the streets because it eats a lot of space.
3. take out all colorum vehicles. but the thing is, sometimes these illegal public transports give the convenient trip. better yet, hold them with legal papers so that there would be no issues.
4. there should always be a strong enforcement of traffic rules. PNoy addressed on his inauguration speech that there will be no more counter flows and sirens that some politicians are taking advantage.
5. widen our roads. this is kind of attached to #2. EDSA has 3 or 4 lanes but still gets traffic jam. Manila is so congested with people since it is the center of trade for the Philippines.
6. my last center in #5 would be resolved by an RH Bill. a moderate number of people is easier to support and solve their problems.
i hope what i wrote here gets to the tables of the people in charge. if not, they might be opposing #4.
ohmski, I think your on the right track about the traffic, but your suggestions don't go far enough. No. 1 would not be a practical idea, you can't stop owning a vehicle because you don't have a garage, but your right on parking on the streets, and taking up traffic lanes. That one goes to the enforcement issue, if the police allow it, then it should be taken care of by the Mayor, and government.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of No. 2, clean out the cars parked on the streets, clean out the illegal stores on the sidewalks, as well as the stores that have spilled onto the streets, open all roads up to the lanes that are already there.
There are so many other things to do to improve traffic, from the taxis, buses, jeepneys, traffic enforcers, U-turns, education drivers on traffic laws, enforcing the laws in place, making sure every one is licensed, and driving a registered vehicle, redesigning some roads, installing more traffic lights, and installing STOP Signs at most intersections.
These are just a few ideas, there is so much more to the traffic problem, it has to start with the drivers, and grow from there.