I WAS in Manila over the weekend and observed that nothing much has changed with the flow of vehicles in the country's capital metropolis. The volume of vehicles is still high, be they private or public utility vehicles, while the number of roads remains to be increased.
One of the things that many expect from the President Rodrigo Duterte administration is the improvement of the traffic conditions in Metro Manila and in urban and suburban areas in the country.
So far, traffic has not much improved perhaps because the present government leadership is still on its honeymoon period. As far as I heard, some studies on how to improve the worsening traffic problems in the country are currently studied.
Since roads are not that fast enough to increase to help solve motorists' predicament, the lessening of vehicles on roads is being considered and some roadside clearing operations being undertaken.
In the province, traffic jams and gridlocks are now getting unbearable especially during rush hours and when some roads are flooded. Motorists in Pampanga are now getting the experience of Metro Manila's traffic crisis.
The volume of vehicles also increased in Pampanga. Even without the statistics, we can easily say that trucks, buses, jeepneys, cars and motorcycles on roads in the province are far many than a few years ago. This may be a sign of development but also a sign of stress for drivers who have to bear and endure being stuck in a sea of vehicles on our roads.
A legislator from the Southern tagalong has recently proposed before the lower house some measures on how to somehow solve the traffic dilemma we are experiencing. Since we cannot easily increase the length and width of our roads, the reduction of vehicles through the "no plate-no travel" policy is seen and hoped to be an effective means.
Also, vehicles which are more than 35 years old are considered to be phased-out or be banned on roads as another way of decreasing vehicles' volume. This shall also improve the road worthiness of vehicles plying our roads and highways and is seen to lessen the number of vehicular accidents.
In addition, the "no garage-no car" policy is likewise taken into consideration. As can be gleaned from Metro Manila road scenes, there are a number of car owners who do not have their garages. They have in fact converted road shoulders as their personal parking spaces.
This malpractice of some car owners clogs our streets as cars parked on shoulders lessen the space for vehicles to pass through. If one has no garage to park his vehicle on, he has to be satisfied first with taking the public transport. In the first place, he should have bought a piece of land first before owning his ride.
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Because of the rains, many portions of the Jose Abad Santos Avenue have seemed to be made like the face of the moon. Several potholes have made the lives of vehicle owners miserable.
Aside from the fact that these craters slows down vehicle flow, they cause damage to cars' under chassis and suspension system. Worse, they pose danger to motorists and pedestrians as well as unpaved and bumpy roads court disaster.
The Department of Public Works and Highways or the city government of San Fernando should do something about this, immediately.
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