Necessary Philippine Martial Law for Tackling Road Traffic

[StockEngine]

Martial law - "suspension of ordinary law"

Readily available solutions to solve the traffic mess from social media | Malaya Business Insight

Unnamed author from Malaya.com.ph

A late 2014 study from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) estimates traffic congestion in Manila results in Php2.4 billion (US$57 million) worth of productivity losses daily.

The numbers are staggering. About Php72 billion (US$1.7 billion) a month or some 650 billion If we calculate in the 9 months since that study was released sometime in October. If these calculations are accurate, to this day, we have lost approximately the equivalent of Php648 billion pesos. Over a fourth of the our Php2 trillion national budget.

“The truth is,” says one netizen on Facebook “there is no real solution to the traffic problem.” Various traffic czars and the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Francis Tolentino have, for extended periods of time, been trying to solve the problem but have seem to have been missing the sources of traffic. Interesting solutions for traffic alleviation are found on social media. Here is, gathered from the bright (but sometimes crazy) minds of netizens, practical solutions to the traffic mess.

a) Rationalize the existence of buses (No more buses on EDSA). On any given day buses cause the biggest amount of congestion on our roads. When used properly, buses are efficient means of transportation. In commuter-heavy cities like Tokyo, New York, Singapore or London, buses are the saviors of shoe soles, connecting people as close as possible to the streets where they live or work.

Commuters happily use buses than subways because it means less walking. Not so in the Philippines. Buses here have been turned into weapons of mass murder and destruction, when piloted by the wrong kind of human being. Buses not only take on all the lanes of Guadalupe at any given hour, they also increase fuel consumption for other vehicles sharing the road. After the recent rash of accidents involving buses, there is no safety in size. A rationalized ban—not a color coding or a bus coding scheme—will not only free frazzled nerves, save countless lives but also reduce the amount of unneeded bus advertising from the roads.

b) Ban the jeepney. Like the bus, the jeepney is the metal equivalent of lard clogging drains. Whether used properly or not, jeepneys are a most inefficient means of shuttling people. Each engine, drivetrain and set of wheels can carry twice as much people as the normal sardine-packed 24-seater jeepney can. Not only is the jeepney uncomfortable with it’s face-to-face seating configuration, it is also unsafe in case of an accident, and a crime zone on wheels. Ask anyone who has had the misfortune of being held-up while taking a jeepney in the innards of Manila, Cubao or Makati. Moreover, unregulated vehicles often spew smoke with its poorly maintained engines and keep every passenger’s soul ready for heaven with bad brakes and bald tires.

c) Stop selling cars until there is a law requiring garages and the road network expands. Short of blaming completely car manufacturers traffic mess we are in, rationalizing the selling of vehicles is also a way of moderating traffic. With their constant push for 5% to 8% industry growth, the industry feeds about 200,000 or so new cars into the road network every year. But the road network expands less than 1% annually, the latest road additions are probably a bridge in Quezon City and a road widened in Caloocan. Apart from that the big road projects are all outside the metropolis where it is actually not needed, no new road has been added since 2002. An elevated roadway is always a great solution, but the Skyway extension will be done in about a year or two. By the time it will be completed, the car industry would have added another 600,000 cars to the congestion. Moreover, half of every known side street is overrun by parked cars. Cars deserve more care than a slipcover and a street parking spot. By reducing cars parked on the already narrow roads, more space is provided for other vehicles.

d) Elevate all roads. The craziest ideas are sometimes the best. One Facebook post on a traffic photo had suggested to elevate all roads. Currently confronting the growth of new roads is the issue of right-of-way and of sidewalk clearing. In the metropolis there is actually no where to build new roads except on top of esteros and maybe consider floating something over the
Pasig River. One possible solution is to elevate all roads. Starting immediately, the Department of Public Works and Highways should consider building road above houses and over buildings. The road extension network can be endless as you build one road over the other. Experts would most likely recommend to wait for the Big One before applying this recommendation though.

e) Revoke all licenses. Driving is a privilege and issuing licenses should immediately cease. Once there is an imbalance between the number of cars on the road and the number of drivers qualified to drive, car selling will die a natural death. While revoking all licenses is an impractical extreme, making it hard to get (a dream in the corruption of the LTO) will be a real solution to get proper drivers on the road.

f) Increase the cost of getting a license plate. License plates in city-states like Beijing, Singapore and London sometimes cost more than the price of a car. The simple reason is iron-fisted regulation—regulations that helped impede the once uncontrollable growth of cars in these places, cars being status symbols more than means of transportation in countries with efficient public transportation.

g) More motorcycles but more regulations. Motorcycles are a metal expression of freedom. Unfortunately many motorcyclists take this freedom too far and hurt themselves and others. Not only are motorcycles seen as moving road hazards, they are also the number one source of road fatalities of recent times, 34% of all road deaths or “fatal crashes” happen on a motorcycle. Motorcycles however are the mass transportation on two wheels, with up to 8 motorcycles taking up the space of one large sedan. Imagine the decongestion that will result from a less-cars-on-the-road society. The motorcycle-filled road will be more molecular, rather than cellular in form. Of course, less people are transported per vehicle, which means more motorcycles are needed to transport the same 4 people needed by a car—and without the benefit of a roof, wipers and airconditioning. But if Vietnam can do it, so can we.

h) Push for Uber and GrabTaxi. Uber is probably with world’s largest transport company without a real transport fleet. Ride-sharing services are tuned for a convenience-hungry market like the Philippines.

Uber must cooperate with government as they are not beyond rules and regulations, while Government must encourage every feasible way of getting people around as they hobnob and contemplate on how to fix the messy MRT situation.

[dos2]

I also have one out of this world suggestion that would need a group of experts to assess its feasibility.

SUGGESTION : Replace MRT and LRT with walkalators.

Same entry-exit based payment but instead of riding congested trains, people will just ride on walkalators. Flow will be continuous as long as there are slots in the walkalator. There should at least be 3 lanes per direction so that even if one or two will have problems, the flow still can continue.

Pros:

Walkalators are divided into manageable lengths but are still interconnected. This can facilitate easier maintenance and minimize impact in operations in-case a section malfunctions or is due for repair.

Marshalls will be deployed to assist riding of PWD/Senior Citizens. One lane will be slower so that their ingress/egress is safe.

Space in between moving trains will be fully utilized.

If results are good, more and more people will prefer to use this instead of bringing their own cars.

Cons:

Cost - I have no idea for the installation and maintenance cost of walkalators but I am assuming it is very expensive.

Safety - every new system should be thoroughly tested accounting for behavioral tendencies of Filipinos.

Monitoring - any misbehavior will be heavily penalized, even permanent ban. Will require a lot of security guards and monitors.

[cast_no_shadow]

Sarap basahin.

Kung sana ganun lang kadali gawin lahat ng andyan. [emoji16]

In a perfect world...
In a perfect world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[donbuggy]

Microcar Law:

Only small cars (with engines not exceeding 1000 cc) shall be allowed to travel within Metro Manila.

Behemoth SUVs shall be banned from entering the city.

[funkeemunkee]

Congestion pricing for private vehicles wanting to enter CBDs during the workweek. Of course an efficient mass transport is imperative if the former was to be implemented.

[yapoy86]

Sarap basahin.

Kung sana ganun lang kadali gawin lahat ng andyan. [emoji16]

In a perfect world...
In a perfect world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Madali lang talaga.. nagawa na ng ibang bansa yan.. nasobrahan kasi tayo sa KALAYAAN... konting kibot rally na agad.. walang gusto mag sakripisyo.. puro paano na ako? Puro sarili lang.. dapat talaga lider natin iron fist like lee kwan yew.. ok na sana si ferdinand marcos eh kung hindi lang nalunod sa kapangyarihan

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Sarap basahin.

Kung sana ganun lang kadali gawin lahat ng andyan. [emoji16]

In a perfect world...
In a perfect world.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Madali lang talaga.. nagawa na ng ibang bansa yan.. nasobrahan kasi tayo sa KALAYAAN... konting kibot rally na agad.. walang gusto mag sakripisyo.. puro paano na ako? Puro sarili lang.. dapat talaga lider natin iron fist like lee kwan yew.. ok na sana si ferdinand marcos eh kung hindi lang nalunod sa kapangyarihan

[G++]

I also have one out of this world suggestion that would need a group of experts to assess its feasibility.

SUGGESTION : Replace MRT and LRT with walkalators.

Same entry-exit based payment but instead of riding congested trains, people will just ride on walkalators. Flow will be continuous as long as there are slots in the walkalator. There should at least be 3 lanes per direction so that even if one or two will have problems, the flow still can continue.

Pros:

Walkalators are divided into manageable lengths but are still interconnected. This can facilitate easier maintenance and minimize impact in operations in-case a section malfunctions or is due for repair.

Marshalls will be deployed to assist riding of PWD/Senior Citizens. One lane will be slower so that their ingress/egress is safe.

Space in between moving trains will be fully utilized.

If results are good, more and more people will prefer to use this instead of bringing their own cars.

Cons:

Cost - I have no idea for the installation and maintenance cost of walkalators but I am assuming it is very expensive.

Safety - every new system should be thoroughly tested accounting for behavioral tendencies of Filipinos.

Monitoring - any misbehavior will be heavily penalized, even permanent ban. Will require a lot of security guards and monitors.

May narinig ako sa radio dati, alisin daw yung mga trains tapos sementuhan ung mga tracks at doon ipadaan yung mga bus sa edsa para mabawasan ang traffic.

[dr. d]

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May narinig ako sa radio dati, alisin daw yung mga trains tapos sementuhan ung mga tracks at doon ipadaan yung mga bus sa edsa para mabawasan ang traffic.

why not just fix the trains?
tingnan nyo PNR... gubyerno nagpapalakad.. tumatagal.. so long as you give it proper funding.
lrt, mrt.. private management.. so problematic.

e, kung bat ba naman hindi kunin yang pdaf na yan at ibuhos sa mga riles.. at tanggalin na yang mga private management people na yan sa lrt at mrt!!

[jonski]

Abolish CCT programs and gamitin sa pag gawa ng trains.

[G++]

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why not just fix the trains?
tingnan nyo PNR... gubyerno nagpapalakad.. tumatagal.. so long as you give it proper funding.
lrt, mrt.. private management.. so problematic.

e, kung bat ba naman hindi kunin yang pdaf na yan at ibuhos sa mga riles.. at tanggalin na yang mga private management people na yan sa lrt at mrt!!

Kaya nga eh. Privately managed tapos subsidize pa ng gobyerno anak ng tokwa talaga.

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why not just fix the trains?
tingnan nyo PNR... gubyerno nagpapalakad.. tumatagal.. so long as you give it proper funding.
lrt, mrt.. private management.. so problematic.

e, kung bat ba naman hindi kunin yang pdaf na yan at ibuhos sa mga riles.. at tanggalin na yang mga private management people na yan sa lrt at mrt!!

Kaya nga eh. Privately managed tapos subsidize pa ng gobyerno anak ng tokwa talaga.