Odd Even sa Edsa (2010 edition)

[badsekktor]

Actually the root cause of this is that there are too many people in Metro Manila.

I agree!!!! That is why any scheme wont work. Add up the incompetencies of enforcers plus stupid drivers then you get traffic jams.

[Altis6453]

This Editorial entitled "Easy Way" appeared on Inq7.net today:

Francis Tolentino has not even finished his first 100 days as chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and already he seems to have run out of ideas on how to make the infernal traffic in the metropolis go away. He has dusted off the old, discredited “odd-even scheme” and wants to apply it on EDSA, one of Metro Manila’s longest and busiest highways, starting the middle of November.

Under his plan, all types of vehicles, including passenger buses, with license plates ending in the numbers 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 will be banned from EDSA (Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue) on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while those with plate numbers ending in 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0 will not be allowed on EDSA on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This will be in addition to the “color coding” scheme’ which will remain in force in all other streets of the metropolis during weekdays. Tolentino said his proposal would reduce traffic on EDSA by at least 40 percent.

Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. Anyone with half a brain would have come up with the solution Tolentino is proposing. What takes a little more brains is thinking of some workable scheme that would ease traffic without making vehicle owners feel like they are being robbed in broad daylight—and by the government no less. Anyone who spends at least half a million pesos to buy the tiniest car on the market would certainly feel cheated if he is deprived of its use three times a week. Which is what Tolentino wants to do to those who have to pass through EDSA to go to work or to school or to transact some business.

Tolentino says that the vehicles barred from EDSA on certain days can still use other streets to get to their destinations. But when was the last time he passed through C-5, Aurora Boulevard, Quezon Avenue or the many side streets close to EDSA that are primarily used as garages, parking lots or basketball courts?

Tolentino has cited recent studies to show why decongesting EDSA has become both necessary and urgent. One study done by the University of the Philippines-National College of Transportation Studies showed that even with “color coding” the number of vehicles on EDSA is more than what it is designed to take. Another study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency estimates that while EDSA can only accommodate a maximum of 1,600 buses, a total of 3,600 franchised buses actually ply the route. The World Bank, on the other hand, has estimated that the economy loses P277 million daily because of lost man-hours due to traffic on EDSA and other major thoroughfares. In addition to increasing productivity, Tolentino said, easing traffic on EDSA would reduce pollution, which would result in better air quality and better health for the citizens.

Few people really need convincing about the necessity to reduce traffic on EDSA. Indeed, they don’t need to be ordered to keep off this major thoroughfare if it were convenient to use the side streets. What motorists resent is to be driven off EDSA without the MMDA first applying other obvious remedies with some seriousness and vigor. For instance, if EDSA can carry only 1,200 buses and 3,600 are plying the route, why can’t the MMDA persuade the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board to limit the number of buses allowed on EDSA? Why do “colorum” buses continue to ply this route despite periodic crackdowns by land transportation agencies? And it is not only the sheer number of buses that contributes to the bad traffic situation on EDSA, it is also the utter disregard of traffic rules by their drivers.

Pollution? The worst offenders are passenger buses, jeepneys and other public utility vehicles, and they are everywhere. The campaign against smoke-belching will get nowhere if the tests are done on EDSA and other major streets. All it takes is a single text message from the driver of an apprehended vehicle to warn off an entire fleet. Why don’t the authorities bring their anti-pollution campaign right to the where bus and jeepney operators keep their vehicles?

First things first. First the MMDA should address these problems. If traffic remains just as bad, then it can adopt the odd-even scheme and the objections will be muted. But right now, it looks like Tolentino is trying to take the easy way. The Metro Manila Council, which has the final say on his proposal, should throw it out

Couldn't have said it any better.

[HardCharger]

I agree with the article above.

Just get rid of 50% of the buses and traffic will be much smoother! Maybe that's where they can implement that 50% of buses can travel on MWF while the other 50% can only travel TThS!

The worst offenders of the smoke belching thing are the buses themselves and the PUJs.

As for banning, vehicles 20 years and older, what about the owners of classic vehicles and those who took the time and resources to care for their vehicle and keep them in pristine shape even after 20 years? Won't that be unfair to them?

As for the no garage - no car policy, yeah, I think this can fly as vehicle flow through certain streets are restricted because of cars using the BOTH sides of the street as parking spaces. Then add to that the streets that get turned into basketball courts and market place extensions. That's a lot of lost road access!

I think we should start sending the MMDA photos of errant buses and those hardly full buses lining EDSA and they will hopefully realize that it's the buses who are the real problems and the rest of us private vehicle owners are just trying to survive the obstacle courses these stupid buses make for us.

[ronw123w124]

Dapat kasi dyan kay Tolentino bumalik na lang ng Tagaytay at mamundok na lang sa Taal Volcano

[rna800]

I remember during his first day in the office and he was interviewed, he said that he'll try to copy the discipline in London. Almost 100 hundred days in office, after all the studies made that show PUVs are the ones causing heavy traffic, the best he could come up with is the "Odd-Even Scheme" and once again, the private car owners are the ones who will severely get affected.

Only half of Francis Tolentino's brain is working when he proposed that. I suggest he should drive around Metro Manila on his own, his regular car without any backup from sun up to sun down, rush hours, wee or unholy hours, Baclaran to Monumento and all the avenues for a whole week, just for a week. For sure after that grueling week, the other half of his brain would realized that his other half brain is stupid enough to have proposed that one. The problem with those people is they have their sweet little time at the back passenger side of their car each time they leave home that's why they never experience the hustle and bustle of daily driving.

[niky]

They don't even have to implement this to see what will happen.

Every Saturday, color-coding is suspended, and EDSA becomes one big traffic jam. Driving down the side roads of Manila is a nightmare on Saturdays, due to the number of people avoiding EDSA. Now imagine that number goes from about 10% of the motorists who are trying to avoid EDSA to nearly 50%. It'll be a nightmare for the mayors. And they know it, which is why they will shoot it down.

[Altis6453]

I remember during his first day in the office and he was interviewed, he said that he'll try to copy the discipline in London. Almost 100 hundred days in office, after all the studies made that show PUVs are the ones causing heavy traffic, the best he could come up with is the "Odd-Even Scheme" and once again, the private car owners are the ones who will severely get affected.

Only half of Francis Tolentino's brain is working when he proposed that. I suggest he should drive around Metro Manila on his own, his regular car without any backup from sun up to sun down, rush hours, wee or unholy hours, Baclaran to Monumento and all the avenues for a whole week, just for a week. For sure after that grueling week, the other half of his brain would realized that his other half brain is stupid enough to have proposed that one. The problem with those people is they have their sweet little time at the back passenger side of their car each time they leave home that's why they never experience the hustle and bustle of daily driving.

Maybe we should start an online petition to have him (Tolentino) fired? This is exactly the kind of lame, unoriginal, mediocre and disingenious thinking the government doesn't need, but has a dangerous oversupply of.

If you're reading this, Mr. Tolentino, yes you...RESIGN and stop inflicting yourself on innocent, law-abiding motorists!

[_Qwerty_]

bakit ba naging chairman nang MMDA yan??

[battaglin]

bakit ba naging chairman nang MMDA yan??

eh ano pa? kaeskwela/kabarkada ni penoy.
nakakayamot panoorin sya magpaliwanag sa TV, nakakairita pati yung kukurap-kurap nyang mata!

[sgt_taga]

^ hahahaha bigla ko tuloy naisip...

siguro eh nung nag-aaral pa tong si penoy o puro kopya sa mga kaeskwela/kabarkada ang ginagawa. hehehehe parang ang dami nyang utang na loob na ibinabalik!

cory = kamag-anak, inc.
penoy = kamag-aral, inc.

hmmmm

patawa lang po. wag pong mag-oa ang mga die-hard pnoy fans. :-)

[Monseratto]

The City mayors council has just concluded their meeting and has rejected MMDA's odd-even scheme. They'll however implement a number scheme on city and provincial buses starting November 15. Obviously the mayors share the public's sentiments on who is actually causing the traffic. Kudos to them!

[toybug]

The City mayors council has just concluded their meeting and has rejected MMDA's odd-even scheme. They'll however implement a number scheme on city and provincial buses starting November 15. Obviously the mayors share the public's sentiments on who is actually causing the traffic. Kudos to them!

Good news indeed !!!

[ans_lim168]

The City mayors council has just concluded their meeting and has rejected MMDA's odd-even scheme. They'll however implement a number scheme on city and provincial buses starting November 15. Obviously the mayors share the public's sentiments on who is actually causing the traffic. Kudos to them!

Amen to this, at least our votes did not go to waste, maybe the post of MMDA Chairman should be put up to a vote, but this post is for appointment made by the president.

[Batang Regla]

Bakit kasi taga tagaytay kinuhang mmda chairman.

Ibalik si bayani fernando.

[jimnyeatworld]

^ hahaha Batang Regla

[jimnyeatworld]

Actually the root cause of this is that there are too many people in Metro Manila.

^ daming bakla

[Altis6453]

The City mayors council has just concluded their meeting and has rejected MMDA's odd-even scheme. They'll however implement a number scheme on city and provincial buses starting November 15. Obviously the mayors share the public's sentiments on who is actually causing the traffic. Kudos to them!

link naman, boss monseratto pls.

[Monseratto]

Magwawala na naman si Claire...

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/me...dd-even-scheme

Mayors junk odd-even scheme
By Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News
Posted at 10/15/2010 2:55 PM | Updated as of 10/15/2010 2:55 PM


MANILA, Philippines - The Metro Manila Council, in an executive session, voted unanimously to shelve the proposal to revive the odd-even scheme and impose it on all vehicles both private and public.

According to Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, one of the reasons raised by mayors was the fact that it is almost the holiday season, and that the public may not be ready yet for a new traffic scheme.

Others like Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos opposed the odd-even scheme mainly because it will only cause heavy traffic on sidestreets and smaller streets, especially since motorists will simply look for alternative routes in order to avoid Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).

[size=3]The council, however, agreed to impose the number coding scheme on public buses starting Nov. 15 instead. Buses have been exempted from the number coding scheme since 2004. [/size]

They have also agreed to come up with a Special Traffic Committee headed by Quezon City Mayor Bautista.

According to Mayor Bautista, the committee will study and review traffic management plans all over Metro Manila, and will review measures that can be implemented in order to improve the traffic situation.

The others who attended the meeting aside from Bautista and Abalos were: Mayor Del De Guzman, Marikina; Rey Medina, Malabon; Recom Echeverri, Caloocan; Sherwin Gatchalian, Valenzuela; Alfredo Lim, Manila.

[reym]

Yahooo .... Buti na lang meron pang mga mayors. Lahat na lang inapoint ni penoy puro palpak. Ibalik si Bayani sa MMDA...

[Altis6453]

Yahooo .... Buti na lang meron pang mga mayors. Lahat na lang inapoint ni penoy puro palpak. Ibalik si Bayani sa MMDA...

I'd rather have Oscar Inocentes back. At least he did his job as MMDA Chairman without fanfare and by not putting in more obstructions on the roads.