The “car coding” being implemented in Metro Manila may have contributed to the worsening traffic situation rather than solving it. As I see it, the system, meant to control the use of cars by number sequence, encourages people to get a second car for convenience.
If one looks, the sale of vehicles, brand-new or second-hand, has been brisk and steady. Who would take public transport and take on the hassle of standing in long queues and the longest time to get to one’s destination, not to mention the dangers every commuter in Manila has to face.
I think a more efficient way to reduce traffic is to do away with car coding and provide instead for staggered hours of work and classes.
At the same time, traffic enforcers, not traffic lights, should be deployed to speed up the vehicular flow on intersections and around parking spaces and busy commercial areas. The automated, programmed traffic lights have not been effective in traffic management. We cannot do without human intervention and sight measurement.
Of course, construction projects should not be allowed during workdays and schooldays, only on weekends and holidays. While reducing the volume of vehicles in busy streets is the most practical solution, one can reach his or her destination safely and on time, despite the rains, the floods and the potholes in Metro Manila. Streets can provide a relaxed and pleasant experience if one’s trip is not hampered by mulcting traffic enforcers. We can use some patience, endurance and humor, too.
—CHARITO L. PLANAS