WHEN the issue on traffic is tackled, there will be many suggestions, and controversies not far behind. Just the other day, in a Senate hearing, Senator Grace Poe and Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade were locked in horns with regards to the request of the latter that President Duterte be given emergency power "to fight a monster like Edsa." The lady senator won't budge.
So many experiments. So many ridiculous and crazy ideas on how to solve the traffic problem. The problem is no longer a monopoly of Metropolitan Manila, but also a serious concern of every cities in the country, and even provincial towns like Porac, Magalang, Mexico, Guagua, etc. The list is endless.
To recall, when he was newly appointed, Tugade said something like he can lick the problem in three months. He copied his boss in saying he can lick the drug problem in six months and only to backtracked when he discovered the problem was too complicated and huge that not even three years, a real solution can be found. Same thing about the traffic problem.
As it is estimated, the Philippines loses something like P2 billion a day due to the traffic gridlocks. Well, someone said you don't have to re-invent the wheels to ease congestions. Ingenuity is not even necessary. My drinking friends at Monday Club, coffee cronies at McDonalds and tong-its players at Villa Angela have many solutions. Will Secretary Tugade listen please.
For big towns and cities, an ordinance can be enacted and require all establishments malls, casinos, call centers, offices and every commercial establishments to provide shuttle buses to their officers and employees. The number of shuttles is based in the ratio of each establishment's employees. Example: If an office has 50 to 60 employees = one shuttle and if more than 60, then two shuttle buses, if more than a thousand then the ratio per shift.
(Note: In Clark Freeport, there are more than 100 thousand workers, aside from the thousands of visitors. All companies, hotels, factories, casinos, etc were required to provide shuttles, so no bus companies and only few jeepneys made a route run. The result: No traffic jam.)
Provide a minimum of two lanes for all buses, transport and shuttles. In cases where the road is five lanes on both like in Edsa, the three lanes should be exclusive to the buses, and the remaining two for private vehicles.
Only private cars with not less than two passengers can be allowed to ply the innermost lane. The others on secondary lane.
Get the colorum buses out of the roads, and sell these to small companies for use as their shuttles.
Stricter law enforcement. Remove "happy Friday" wherein some bus and jeepney associations pay regular "contributions" to road enforcers.
Remove all smoke belchers and penalize emission test companies which issued the clearance. All the above are worth trying. In short, law enforcement must be 100 percent.
Fast-track all road construction projects. Have workers in three shifts.
My tweets:
Mayor Pogi Lazatin will always be seen sporting a smile even in sorting out problems, either big or small. Not yet three months in office but he is already receiving complaints against erring employees who reportedly are behind the resumption of operations of bars which he ordered closed down. Lazatin means business. Don't even think just because you helped him in his political campaign you erring guys are indispensable. You are wrong. If you are abusive and corrupt, you have no place in his administration, his close confidant whispered to me....Will the DPWH sub-Engineering District of Angeles City fast track the expansion of that short bridge in Barangay Pulung Cacutud please. I hope Engineer Tito Salvador will tell his people to double time.