Traffic! Traffic!! Traffic!!!
By allen0187
@allen0187 (59761)
Philippines
August 26, 2015 12:46am CST
Traffic has been hogging the headlines the past few days. This had me rolling in stitches... you live in Manila ... traffic is everywhere. If it is a pay day weekend and there are numerous mall wide sales and you can breeze through EDSA ... man, that's news!!!
I've been living with traffic all my life. Its as if it was an unwanted wife or unwelcomed mistress. LOL! Anyway, there's a lot of talk about how to solve this perennial pain in the a$$. Let us count the ways:
*Four-day work week and school week. Uhm... no! Won't resolve the problem. It will just give more days to both workers and students an extra day to go out to malls resulting in, you've guessed right, more traffic.
*Use alternative forms of transportation like the railway system (including the MRT and LRT), river ferries, and bicycles. I'm all for this option. The government should add more trains so the waiting period of passengers are lessened. Consider these:
- Hong Kong and Singapore train systems serve close to 2 million passengers daily. Average waiting time is between 1-3 minutes
- Our own MRT and LRT serve a little over 800k passengers daily and average waiting time is five to six minutes.
- Ferries should be upgraded and air conditioned so more passengers will be encouraged to ride it.
- More bicycle lanes should be added and these lanes should be wider. IMHO, two to three lanes should be allotted. Also incentives should be given to those who actively use bicycles. While we're at it, runners/joggers paths should be considered as well. Running to the office ss something I have seriously considered but have not done because of the lack if such.
- Extend the hours of the current traffic number scheme. Again, I'm all for it.
Of course, best course of action is to strictly implement existing traffic rules and regulations. Imposing discipline to both drivers, commuters, and pedestrians is a must as well.
What say you my fellow local myLotters? How about those living in other countries, do you have traffic problems? How do you deal with it?
Anyway, traffic was so bad, the hand of God intervened and managed to solve it, albeit temporarily. Read on...
An 83-year-old Catholic cardinal in the Philippines came to the rescue of thousands of stranded motorists over the weekend after single-handedly untangling a traffic jam in Manila during a typhoon. Gaudencio Rosales took matters into his own hands on Sunda
7 people like this
8 responses
@BigMoney25 (1286)
• Philippines
27 Aug 15
Yeah what is going on in our country right now?! All these heavy traffic and stuff! Our government needs to invest on mass public transport! To be honest I don't have any problems taking the public train and stuff so long as it's safe and well maintained. That's why people choose to get their own private vehicle because of the crazy traffic we face everyday! Right now I am really considering buying a motorcycle so that I don't have to deal with getting stuck in traffic for no good reason! And yeah, I use my car everyday but seeing the situation in our country, I just want to leave it at home to help with the problem. Our problem is also parking space. 2 of our cars are already parked outside on the streets and 3 inside our garage. You see? That's how easy it is now for Filipinos to get a car, our cars are already piling up. During the typhoon Ondoy we only had 2 cars, but now that me and my sister are already working we have to get our own too plus 1 that we use whenever one of our cars belong to the number coding scheme for the day. Whew, I don't know, and my friend just got a Montero for 64k downpayment and stuff and he is already able to drive it out of the dealership. Our population is getting bigger here in NCR I want to leave this place already :(
2 people like this
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
29 Aug 15
Five cars?!!! That's a lot of cars!
Building more roads won't solve the traffic mess either. Agree with you that we need a more efficient and reliable mass transport system. Hopefully, we get one in our lifetime! LOL!
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
30 Aug 15
@BigMoney25 sounds like you have first world problems.
2 people like this
@BigMoney25 (1286)
• Philippines
29 Aug 15
@allen0187 yeah five cars. believe it or not I do not want it either. when I get home early from work I end up parking at the pit of our garage so the next morning when it's time to go I have to remove first the two cars blocking my car before I can leave the garage which is very time consuming. And also the maintenance costs of having a lot of cars is a big headache. really I wanna buy a motorcycle badly right now, that way it is more efficient maintenance-wise and travel wise
@toniganzon (77184)
• Philippines
8 Sep 15
Why don't you move to my city instead? Traffic is great, people are great, and the food is awesome too. Not sure if there are enough INC members to block our roads here. Btw, thanks for letting me know mylot is back. My heart always belongs to this place. Luckily, I have a bit of a free time to be on here today.
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
9 Sep 15
@toniganzon if i move to your city, would you adopt me goddess?!!!
Your welcome... myLot isn't the same without its resident goddess!!!
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
9 Sep 15
@toniganzon I didn't know you had a streak of gray in you...
@toniganzon (77184)
• Philippines
9 Sep 15
@allen0187 I would be glad to adopt you as long as you agree to be put on a leash lol 
1 person likes this
@owstalaga (4825)
• Philippines
7 Sep 15
Yeah I was wondering why traffic was so bad on Aug 27. I remember it being so bad because it's the only time it's been so bad going to and from Ortigas. It didn't take too long during non rush hours before! Good thing the government finally decided on doing something! Highway Patrol Group is awesome.
The police as traffic enforcers are a better solution rather than the previous ones the government thought of, like that 4 day work week.
I suggested back then that carpooling would be a better solution rather than change how the school and offices work or something. There was an issue about school having to do with traffic or vice versa, can't remember what it was exactly that irked me off about it then.
Anyone can make traffic better if people were disciplined on the road. :) Good thing there are also people like the cardinal who act instead of complain. 
I suggested back then that carpooling would be a better solution rather than change how the school and offices work or something. There was an issue about school having to do with traffic or vice versa, can't remember what it was exactly that irked me off about it then.
Anyone can make traffic better if people were disciplined on the road. :) Good thing there are also people like the cardinal who act instead of complain. 1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
7 Sep 15
Discipline plays a big part in solving this traffic mess!
1 person likes this
@cmoneyspinner (9218)
• Austin, Texas
26 Aug 15
That was a great story!! Funny you know because I never carry a whistle with me but seems like it would be handy to have on you! Bet James Bond doesn't carry one either! 
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
29 Aug 15
Carrying a whistle is a good idea. You never know when you'll need one.
Glad you like the story @cmoneyspinner !
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
6 Aug 17
Traffic here is really a mess. It;s one of the reasons why I left Metro Manila and settled in the province though there is also traffic congestion here but not worse as Metro Manila. Cardinal Rosales did a good example.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
7 Aug 17
Traffic has actually gotten worse and there is no real solution in sight. MRT continues to have problems and all these 'Build, Build, Build' infrastructures will only bury our country deep in debt but will not help the worsening traffic situation.
@dashboardc33 (314)
•
26 Aug 15
We don't really have that problem where I live and I am truly happen that we don't. It sounds like a big mess over there.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59761)
• Philippines
29 Aug 15
A big mess is an understatement! People already set their schedule based on the perceived traffic! LO!L It is that bad!
