Rizal Philippines
October 27, 2016
From Quora
The current administration seem to have fallen short on its first 100 days promise to solve many of the country's woes: if I remember this includes traffic. All ready some quarters are all ready calling for the resignation of DOT secretary. Since December 2915 started ti get worse. From our place to say Robinson, you need to allocate 3 hours to get to your destination. Traffic does not move at all in floodway or Rosario. It is sometime the sheer volume of vehicles coming from Eastern Rizal passing only to one artery: Ortigas Avenue. Although it has been widened, it could not keep up with the huge volume of vehicles brought about by the huge increase in population. Couple that with other factors: Illegal parking, undisciplined drivers, and enforcers etc. Uncoordianted traffic flow. etc.
The comments regarding the traffic improvements were more cogent:
I wrote a paper last year about solving the traffic problems in EDSA. You could extend the message to the whole Metro Manila, but for now I would be talking only about EDSA. I will copy the contents of my paper without edits, so please bear with me.
1. Building of an overpass or a tunnel – Will building an overpass, highway or an alternative route solve the problem? It’s a common habit for people to buy new things rather than fixing their broken objects. So if EDSA is already traffic-ridden, then officials would build an alternate highway or overpass to solve this following the given idea. This construction might already begin if plans went through. MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) Chairman Francis Tolentino proposed a project to build a 8.3 kilometer "Skybridge" along E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City and would end near the former Sta. Ana Race Track. MMDA said that the P10 Billion peso project would reduce the travel time from Quezon to Makati from 1 hour to 15 minutes, and would improve the travel speed of vehicles by as much as 20-29 kilometers.
2. Carpooling - Carpooling would reduce cars in the road as people would begin filling their otherwise empty seats with people who would otherwise be driving their own cars if a carpooling program was not started. At least 323,000 vehicles pass through EDSA every day, and there is a large chance that at least half of those vehicles have only 1 passenger. If people would start carpooling, the number of vehicles could be reduced by one-fourth to one-half in theory. Reduced traffic congestion isn't the only benefit that you could get with carpooling; because of the reduction of vehicles in the road, reduction of the emissions of greenhouse gases is also a benefit, and because of the reduction of smoke in the air, it would also benefit the people's health. This system has no bad effects, and only provides good effects for the community if this was implemented in EDSA in the whole Philippines in general. This system also trains kinship amongst the community as people inside the vehicle would share the costs for filling up the vehicle and also the toll fee. With the continuing toll and gas fee hikes, carpooling might be a possible way to reduce traffic along EDSA, and possibly along the Philippines' most congested thoroughfares and highways.
3. Building of an efficient road system - Building of a much more efficient transportation system, one which has roads not leading to one major thoroughfare is greatly in need. Although benefits are still not known, and no research has ever showed that this might be a possible solution, through the use of mere logic one can assume that this might prove to be an investment for the MMDA and DPWH to utilize.
4. Reduction of bus stations and buses in EDSA - Removal of these bus stations would really benefit EDSA, as the removal of one bus contributes to the removal of two cars in the road. Although this solution looks like it would not be much of a help, recent surveys shows that commuters who ride through EDSA says that buses and their terminals needs to be reduced along EDSA, and if possible in the whole Metro Manila area.
5. Tolling of private vehicles in EDSA during rush hour - Although commuters would criticize this as a bad solution to the traffic woes as it would dwindle their money, people would find a way to avoid this tolling by bypassing it entirely using a different route. Effects of this solution are still not known, as people still doesn't find this as a possible solution, but this could reduce traffic volume in EDSA by as much as one-fourth as small public utility vehicles like jeepneys would avoid this avenue as to not reduce their already small income. Drivers with shallow pockets would also avoid this area, thus reducing the limiting the users of EDSA in rush hour to those who could afford the toll fee.
6. Strict implementation of traffic laws - MMDA's staff and officers already know the benefits of their traffic laws, people just needs to follow them and their officers should just help implement their laws rather than wait for their supervisors to watch them work. Their projected reduction of vehicles, as always being noted by the MMDA chairman past and present, was the volume of vehicles to be halved. Although I wish that the MMDA chairman would stop fantasizing about how their system is good and rather work to increase productivity among their workers and staff.
7. Reduction of establishments along EDSA - If establishments would be removed, or at least be given alternative exit rather than just straight to EDSA. Many establishments do it that way, like the Robinsons Pioneer or the Cybergate Mall near Glorietta and also the Glorietta and Greetbelt complex in Ayala. These establishments increase the traffic volume in EDSA significantly, and if these establishments or at least the small ones be removed then the whole avenue may be free from traffic woes and problems.
8. Repairing of the avenue – Maybe if the 323,000 vehicles running through EDSA had the ability to talk, they all would scream in agony shouting that travelling in this decrepit road is as hard a task as running through a dirt road, minus the bumps, or not. The layers of paint need to be refreshed, as vehicles are having a hard time knowing which lane from which. DPWH and MMDA should lay a budget of at least a million pesos just to repaint the road, or more if they want to replace the asphalt, the cement that most of the highway has is hard to drive upon as it wears the tire much faster than an asphalt road.
9. Equal Distribution of office hours - Office hours in Metro Manila (or in the whole country) is always the same, employees may choose from either of these two: 8 am-5 pm or 9 am-6 pm. Why not change those office hours so that people would be not be populating the highway at the same time? Rush hours are time zones of the day when people come and go to office/school, and it is almost always the same time: 7 - 8 am and 5-7 pm. Offices should change their office hours, by at least one or two hours or just by making the office hours flexible. Although the volume of traffic along EDSA would not be changed, the traffic along EDSA would be equally distributed among different times of the day rather than on a time zone of one-two hours daily. DOLE would need to change their labor code for this one, but with their help they could reduce traffic in EDSA, not by volume but rather by distribution of the traffic through the day. Workers might object or accept this new solution, depending on what time of the day their work would start if this was implemented.
10. Prohibition of PUJ's and limiting of buses in EDSA - This solution, albeit an extreme one, would dramatically reduce traffic in EDSA by as much as reducing it by three-fourths it. Think of it, an EDSA without any passenger jeepneys in sight, only privately owned vehicles and some buses in the road. It would feel like a dream highway, all 4-6 lanes of the highway to you and some vehicles, no more cumbersome jeepneys and ridiculously large and noisy buses which keep you from moving fast. It would be like the Skyway in SLEX, only on the ground and much longer, crossing 5 cities in Metro Manila. This solution would almost always be received with negative votes, mostly from the drivers and passengers of these public vehicles. This is the reason why it is placed last on the list. Transport strikes would ensue if this would be implemented, but after weeks or months have passed, the people would learn of the benefits that they will get from this. Jeepneys and buses would be diverted on other major highways traversing EDSA like Taft Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Ayala Avenue, etc. This solution would probably defeat the purpose of solution 3 (The building of an efficient road system) as public vehicles would now be needed to take an alternative route rather than in EDSA. Private vehicles would take the full benefits from this, as they can now move much faster than they can before, about a 20+ k/hr. increase.
1. Building of an overpass or a tunnel – Will building an overpass, highway or an alternative route solve the problem? It’s a common habit for people to buy new things rather than fixing their broken objects. So if EDSA is already traffic-ridden, then officials would build an alternate highway or overpass to solve this following the given idea. This construction might already begin if plans went through. MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) Chairman Francis Tolentino proposed a project to build a 8.3 kilometer "Skybridge" along E. Rodriguez Avenue in Quezon City and would end near the former Sta. Ana Race Track. MMDA said that the P10 Billion peso project would reduce the travel time from Quezon to Makati from 1 hour to 15 minutes, and would improve the travel speed of vehicles by as much as 20-29 kilometers.
2. Carpooling - Carpooling would reduce cars in the road as people would begin filling their otherwise empty seats with people who would otherwise be driving their own cars if a carpooling program was not started. At least 323,000 vehicles pass through EDSA every day, and there is a large chance that at least half of those vehicles have only 1 passenger. If people would start carpooling, the number of vehicles could be reduced by one-fourth to one-half in theory. Reduced traffic congestion isn't the only benefit that you could get with carpooling; because of the reduction of vehicles in the road, reduction of the emissions of greenhouse gases is also a benefit, and because of the reduction of smoke in the air, it would also benefit the people's health. This system has no bad effects, and only provides good effects for the community if this was implemented in EDSA in the whole Philippines in general. This system also trains kinship amongst the community as people inside the vehicle would share the costs for filling up the vehicle and also the toll fee. With the continuing toll and gas fee hikes, carpooling might be a possible way to reduce traffic along EDSA, and possibly along the Philippines' most congested thoroughfares and highways.
3. Building of an efficient road system - Building of a much more efficient transportation system, one which has roads not leading to one major thoroughfare is greatly in need. Although benefits are still not known, and no research has ever showed that this might be a possible solution, through the use of mere logic one can assume that this might prove to be an investment for the MMDA and DPWH to utilize.
4. Reduction of bus stations and buses in EDSA - Removal of these bus stations would really benefit EDSA, as the removal of one bus contributes to the removal of two cars in the road. Although this solution looks like it would not be much of a help, recent surveys shows that commuters who ride through EDSA says that buses and their terminals needs to be reduced along EDSA, and if possible in the whole Metro Manila area.
5. Tolling of private vehicles in EDSA during rush hour - Although commuters would criticize this as a bad solution to the traffic woes as it would dwindle their money, people would find a way to avoid this tolling by bypassing it entirely using a different route. Effects of this solution are still not known, as people still doesn't find this as a possible solution, but this could reduce traffic volume in EDSA by as much as one-fourth as small public utility vehicles like jeepneys would avoid this avenue as to not reduce their already small income. Drivers with shallow pockets would also avoid this area, thus reducing the limiting the users of EDSA in rush hour to those who could afford the toll fee.
6. Strict implementation of traffic laws - MMDA's staff and officers already know the benefits of their traffic laws, people just needs to follow them and their officers should just help implement their laws rather than wait for their supervisors to watch them work. Their projected reduction of vehicles, as always being noted by the MMDA chairman past and present, was the volume of vehicles to be halved. Although I wish that the MMDA chairman would stop fantasizing about how their system is good and rather work to increase productivity among their workers and staff.
7. Reduction of establishments along EDSA - If establishments would be removed, or at least be given alternative exit rather than just straight to EDSA. Many establishments do it that way, like the Robinsons Pioneer or the Cybergate Mall near Glorietta and also the Glorietta and Greetbelt complex in Ayala. These establishments increase the traffic volume in EDSA significantly, and if these establishments or at least the small ones be removed then the whole avenue may be free from traffic woes and problems.
8. Repairing of the avenue – Maybe if the 323,000 vehicles running through EDSA had the ability to talk, they all would scream in agony shouting that travelling in this decrepit road is as hard a task as running through a dirt road, minus the bumps, or not. The layers of paint need to be refreshed, as vehicles are having a hard time knowing which lane from which. DPWH and MMDA should lay a budget of at least a million pesos just to repaint the road, or more if they want to replace the asphalt, the cement that most of the highway has is hard to drive upon as it wears the tire much faster than an asphalt road.
9. Equal Distribution of office hours - Office hours in Metro Manila (or in the whole country) is always the same, employees may choose from either of these two: 8 am-5 pm or 9 am-6 pm. Why not change those office hours so that people would be not be populating the highway at the same time? Rush hours are time zones of the day when people come and go to office/school, and it is almost always the same time: 7 - 8 am and 5-7 pm. Offices should change their office hours, by at least one or two hours or just by making the office hours flexible. Although the volume of traffic along EDSA would not be changed, the traffic along EDSA would be equally distributed among different times of the day rather than on a time zone of one-two hours daily. DOLE would need to change their labor code for this one, but with their help they could reduce traffic in EDSA, not by volume but rather by distribution of the traffic through the day. Workers might object or accept this new solution, depending on what time of the day their work would start if this was implemented.
10. Prohibition of PUJ's and limiting of buses in EDSA - This solution, albeit an extreme one, would dramatically reduce traffic in EDSA by as much as reducing it by three-fourths it. Think of it, an EDSA without any passenger jeepneys in sight, only privately owned vehicles and some buses in the road. It would feel like a dream highway, all 4-6 lanes of the highway to you and some vehicles, no more cumbersome jeepneys and ridiculously large and noisy buses which keep you from moving fast. It would be like the Skyway in SLEX, only on the ground and much longer, crossing 5 cities in Metro Manila. This solution would almost always be received with negative votes, mostly from the drivers and passengers of these public vehicles. This is the reason why it is placed last on the list. Transport strikes would ensue if this would be implemented, but after weeks or months have passed, the people would learn of the benefits that they will get from this. Jeepneys and buses would be diverted on other major highways traversing EDSA like Taft Avenue, Shaw Boulevard, Ayala Avenue, etc. This solution would probably defeat the purpose of solution 3 (The building of an efficient road system) as public vehicles would now be needed to take an alternative route rather than in EDSA. Private vehicles would take the full benefits from this, as they can now move much faster than they can before, about a 20+ k/hr. increase.
I'm listing all the solutions I've read about and I've thought of, which I can remember, below, separated into long term and short term solutions, and ordered from what I perceive to be the most important to the least important.
Long Term
1. Decentralization - Distribute development to other areas in the Philippines to lessen immigration to Metro Manila, and hopefully drive some emigration from it.
1. Decentralization - Distribute development to other areas in the Philippines to lessen immigration to Metro Manila, and hopefully drive some emigration from it.
2. Proper Zoning and City Development - Reduce the need to travel by developing areas for mixed use. Make sure that people can access all the places they need to go to regularly (work, school, grocery stores, etc.) by walking or biking. Give incentives for redevelopment of buildings of a certain size to mixed use facilities.
3. Seaport Development - Tied to the needed decentralization, ensure the development of ports for trade in key points around the country. Might cost a lot financially.
4. Switch from Current Private Bus/Jeepney Franchising Scheme to Government Provided Bus/Jeepney Transportation Contracts - How this works is that the Government will have contracts up for bidding for bus operators to provide a set number of buses (which meet a certain standard) that will follow a specified route on a pre-set schedule of arrivals at specified stops, on specific days. The revenue from the trips will go to the government while a monthly amount is paid by the government to the bus contractor based on contract specifics. This will switch the incentive of bus operators from maximizing profits through unethical means such as overusing unmaintained buses, stopping at illegal stops, blocking other buses from overtaking them on legal stops, and paying bus drivers based on quotas, to ensuring that they follow traffic standards and public transportation requirements. The largest hindrance I could see with this policy's implementation is that it can cause corruption with contract awarding. This corruption might probably be solvable through blind bids and computerization (minimizing human interaction).
5. Transport Infrastructure Development - Study movement patterns within the metropolitan. Hire an organization to produce a long term transport network development plan that includes specifications on transport sizing, budget timeline, and expansion provisions. This organization will preferably be foreign to reduce the influence of local developers who might be seeking profit.
6. Equal Minimum Wage for Cities and Provinces - Not so sure about this one. On one hand, employees would have a stronger incentive to move to or stay in the provinces instead of seeking employment in the city - this would lower overpopulation and hence, traffic jams. However, this might disincentivize companies (potential employers) from opening facilities/branches in provincial areas. This disincentivization can be offset by the lower land costs in provinces and possibly tax credits/incentives policies though.
7. Car Tax - Increased tax on car purchases will curb excessive vehicle purchases. This tax will preferably be progressive and based on passenger capacity/size ratio - the higher the ratio, the lower the tax.
Short Term
1. Decrease Number of Traffic Enforcers, Increase Individual Traffic Enforcer Pay, Develop Peer to Peer Watch System - I do no think our traffic enforcers are utilized efficiently. One can usually see large groups of traffic enforcers staying in a single area (usually narrow choke points) with only a small number of them actually doing any work. Reducing their numbers will remove the ones with low performance, and will allow the increase of pay for those that remain. This increase in pay, along with a good peer to peer watch system for reporting corruption can lead to a smaller but more effective traffic enforcement organization.
1. Decrease Number of Traffic Enforcers, Increase Individual Traffic Enforcer Pay, Develop Peer to Peer Watch System - I do no think our traffic enforcers are utilized efficiently. One can usually see large groups of traffic enforcers staying in a single area (usually narrow choke points) with only a small number of them actually doing any work. Reducing their numbers will remove the ones with low performance, and will allow the increase of pay for those that remain. This increase in pay, along with a good peer to peer watch system for reporting corruption can lead to a smaller but more effective traffic enforcement organization.
2. Shorter Work Week - Use a 4-day instead of a 5-day work week. Work days can be extended to 10 hours instead of 8 hours.
3. Staggered Office Hours - Give incentives to companies which move the start and end of their regular office hours to avoid the bulk of the rush hour.
4. Promote Working from Home - Give incentives to companies which have a well developed system for their employees to work from their homes.
5. Carpooling Incentives - Assign lanes in major roadways wherein only vehicles with 3 or more passengers are allowed to travel.
6. Remove the Number Coding System - Not proven to be effective. May cause traffic slowdown at points where traffic enforcers are stationed due to the stopping of caught cars and their subsequent blocking of lanes.
7. Cargo Sharing by Freight Companies - Not too sure with this one. Similar to carpooling laws but with cargo. Require that all trucks going through major roadways be filled to a specified percentage of their recommended load. This might just boost corruption and bureaucracy through excessive policing and travel documentation. Implementation would be difficult.
All ready, I know of several companies following # staggered office hours. They start at 6 and end the day at 4 pm. Let us not wait for govt to improve the traffic.
The govt must hire these guys. Or if not implement their ideas. Logically and practically they make sense.
How much money do we waste daily P3 billion a day. x 365. That is more than a trillion in a year. We can afford to lose that much?
