Of late, the queues at the elevated railways of Metro Manila’s passenger train system get longer and longer. At the North Avenue Station during the morning rush, you can see this winding line of people in single file, a procession that starts from the sidewalk, up three flights of stairs, across an overhead pedestrian bridge, and finally converging at the ticket dispensing booths.
Our government had built four of these train systems to help commuters get to their points of destination within the densest parts of the metropolis in a more efficient way. It is perhaps the fact that the low fares when using these electric trains are still the biggest come-on to many, but should they really be made to suffer so much to get their ride?
It’s unthinkable for a government to be so callous to the plight of its people. How could those responsible not have made any steps to increase the number of trains? In fact, a company had to offer an unsolicited bid – that unfortunately does not seem to be receiving any consideration from officials concerned – to expand the number of commuter trains.
Worsening traffic amidst empty buses
Ironically, the trains were supposed to decongest Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares. And yet, traffic is getting worse. Once, going home from Quezon City, the swell on EDSA was so bad that what normally took less than 15 minutes of travel time, ended up close to two hours.
I guess I’m lucky because I was in an air-conditioned car that managed to give me some comfort in the sweltering heat of the midday sun. With nothing much to do, I was able to observe my surroundings, and lo! another surprise.
To my right were rows of buses, most of them with just a handful of commuters. There were air-con buses, ordinary buses, smoke-belching buses, swerving buses, buses trying to outdo each other to catch one more commuter, and buses of all kinds of colors and shapes. It was a bedlam scene.
Doesn’t this just shout out of the lack of good management? How can our government not think about managing those buses that are just far too many on the streets burning away precious fuel, clogging the city’s major streets and highways, and simply wasting precious time and productivity?
Toll taxes
Still brewing is the opposition to the extended VAT charged on every vehicle that passes those private sector-run expressways linking the capital of the country to the northern and southern provinces of Luzon.
It’s good to have well-maintained highways that are able to provide motorists and commuters better access to the city and back to their suburban homes, and we are grudgingly grateful even as we pay the high toll fees. But does government have to take a bite from this too?
The EVAT is a levy on the toll fee, and as this rises, so does the tax. Now this may be an efficient way of increasing the money going into the government coffers, but the pass-on effect on goods and services passing through the expressways will immediately be felt.
What about the road user tax?
Besides, there is already a tax on road user that was passed during the former President Joseph Estrada’s time imposing a 100-percent increase in the registration fees of all types of vehicles, whether for hire or for private or government use.
This road tax was intended for various uses including road maintenance and improvement of road drainage, a road fund for local government use, for vehicle population control, and for road safety fund, i.e., installation of traffic lights and other road safety devices.
Flash floods
Perhaps one of the most difficult problems that this government faces is flash flooding of streets that usually occurs when there is a downpour of heavy rain. This had been addressed before by the constant dredging of esteros and canals that make up the city’s wastewater discharge system.
But with changes in rain patterns (more frequent heavy downpours and rainfall during normally dry or the cold months of the year), motorists have become paranoid about getting stuck in traffic especially in low-lying areas where water easily collects.
Flash floods will easily lead to a traffic grid lock in Manila, which again reduces people’s productivity, increases fuel consumption, and exacerbates the city’s pollution problem from all the vehicles inching forward or worse, idling away waiting for the floods to dissipate and get cars and buses moving again.
Government’s duty
Travel is essential to every working man’s life. The less time he spends on the road going to work and coming back home, the better to improve his productivity, and consequently increase his contribution to the overall economy.
If our government aims to bring this country past the “developing nation” stage, it must deliver the basic services that every working Filipino needs. This means providing for an efficient transportation system, one that does not allow a commuter to spend an hour in a queue to get on the metro rail.
In the same way that we as parents strive to provide every possible support we can give to our children while going they go through school and prepare for the real life, this is what our government officials should be thinking and doing.
Is that too much to ask?
Collegiate Champions (PCCL) top 16
As of today, seven seats of the Sweet 16 Finals of the PCCL 2011 Philippine National Collegiate Championship games are taken. UAAP’s Ateneo Blue Eagles, FEU Tamaraws, Adamson U Soaring Falcons and UST Growling Tigers, together with NCAA’s San Sebastian Golden Stags, Letran Knights and San Beda Red Lions are in.
Three automatic slots for NCAA’s fourth placer and for CESAFI (Cebu) champion and runner-up are still up for grabs. The remaining six seats will be awarded to the regional champions that will be determined during the regional championships scheduled to start first week of November.
Visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net and join for free the ongoing surveys to pick the regional champions and win surprise gifts from PCCL sponsors.
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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.