I traverse that stretch of Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, Quezon City, very often. In many instances, in the vicinity of Gateway, I would see a man coming out of a corner to approach jeepneys and receive something from the drivers. He is definitely no street vendor out to sell something.
Just as quickly as he gets “something” from the drivers, he slinks back to his corner to wait for more jeepneys, which slow down to a crawl, as they pass his way. I have no doubt in my mind that he is collecting “kotong” (extort money)!
And that surely explains why traffic in that area is always in a gridlock. Jeepney drivers park at will, side by side each other to compete for passengers, thus blocking the flow of traffic. That explains, too, why traffic enforcers just look the other way. The ones in charge of traffic there should be fired! Can there be any doubt they are in on the take?
I am almost certain the same thing is happening in parts of Edsa where buses hog the road as if their operators and drivers alone have the right to make a living. Because of them, I am forced to give an allowance of about three hours for travel time (in my car) from Quezon City to Makati City to avoid being late for my 9 a.m. work! Traffic enforcers are almost never around to untangle the mess at the usual choke points.
After inching my way out of the gridlock, there they always are—gathered at some junction far away from where they are needed, “making kaway-kaway” (gesturing) at motorists who don’t need them because where they are, traffic is flowing smoothly! What a bunch of morons!
And the apologists of the Aquino administration have the temerity to keep telling us, “Pasensya muna sa sobrang taffic, dahil sa mga ginagawang road repairs na para din sa ikakaginhawa natin sa darating na panahon (In the meantime please have patience with the overly heavy traffic, which is due to the ongoing road repairs that are being done for our convenience in the days ahead)!”
Nothing is ever said at all about the blatant corruption or sheer incompetence of the people who are managing the traffic. And where the heck is Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Francis Tolentino? In the provinces, busy campaigning for the 2016 senatorial elections! We, the electorate, should teach this guy a lesson!
—JANNO MARKO MONTECRISTO, jama.monte@yahoo.com.ph