More suggestions from a reader

A rather long list of suggestions on how to ease traffic on EDSA was received from Francis Salvador. Here are major parts of what he wrote:

“I believe there are ‘do-it-now’ solutions that should be implemented first to make EDSA clean, clear and organized and thus, complement the ‘big’ and middle- to long-term solutions such as bus consortiums, intermodal transport system, road and railway networks and other infrastructure projects. I am not sure if my suggestions were already taken up by some of your readers. But, here goes:

“Rid the whole stretch of EDSA sidewalks from any and all obstructions. These include vendors, terminals of tricycles/pedicabs/jeepneys/taxicabs (there are some that are parked on sidewalks), and parking spaces of business establishments. And sorry to include these, trees and other plants. Why on earth would you plant a tree or any plant life on sidewalks? Even on center islands! These plants are out of place and obviously are obstructions.

“Try a separate Unloading Zone and Loading Zone. Count the minutes a bus would take to unload and load passengers at the same time and in the same area. It usually takes five to 10 minutes specifically in Kamias, Cubao, Ortigas, Shaw, Ayala, Magallanes and Pasay Taft. The bus shall first unload the passengers for just 30 seconds to a minute, then move on to the loading zone to pick up passengers for a maximum of two minutes, then leave. Imagine how fast it is to drop off and pick up the passengers if the unloading and loading zones are separate. It would only take at least three minutes compared to five to 10 minutes of loading and unloading in one area. There must be one or two traffic enforcers in each zone to oblige the bus drivers to follow the allowed time for unloading and loading the passengers.

“Do not let the buses take any of the flyovers and underpasses. Buses tend to swerve from unloading and loading zones to flyovers and underpasses. If they would just stay on two lanes at the right side of EDSA, then they will not bully the private cars and veer to the left going to those flyovers and underpasses.

“Transfer all provincial bus terminals from EDSA to anywhere else except EDSA. This should be a demand to all provincial bus owners. Give them the ultimatum and a definite time to transfer their terminals. No ifs and buts. Otherwise, the LTFRB will suspend their franchises until they are relocated to a place where there are adequate spaces for passengers’ waiting areas and parking for buses, taxicabs, jeepneys and private cars. Provincial buses often occupy and block the road while waiting for parking spaces inside the terminal. And without enough parking spaces, the buses are parked at the lanes for city buses and even on the sidewalks of their terminals to load and unload passengers. Furthermore, city buses stop right in front of these depots, loading and unloading passengers going to and from provinces. What have you got next? A queue of buses waiting to do the same [causing the] traffic jam. By the way, what happened to the proposed integrated/central provincial bus terminal somewhere in Quezon City?

“Express Buses and UVs. From six to 10 o’clock in the morning, there should be buses that will only take passengers from North Avenue/Monumento/Balintawak (whichever has the large number of passengers) to Makati, and perhaps another one from Cubao straight to Makati. The only stops the buses will take are the designated unloading zones in Buendia or Ayala avenues, nowhere else along EDSA. These buses may be called ‘Makati Express’. If these buses are directly Makati-bound, they can take the flyovers and underpasses. Then, from 4 o’clock in the afternoon to 8 o’clock in the evening, there will be a ‘Cubao Express’ or ‘North Avenue/Balintawak/Monumento Express’ buses.

“I remember the air-conditioned, blue ‘Love Bus’ in the 80s and early 90s. All passengers going to Makati take this bus from a station in front of Ali Mall in Cubao. No passengers were allowed to go down anywhere on EDSA. Passengers were dropped off in Buendia, Makati and Ayala avenues.

“The Utility Vehicle Express shuttle service from Montalban, San Mateo, Marikina City, Pasig City, Quezon City going to Makati City should also do the same. Passengers should only be unloaded on Ayala or Buendia avenues. No unloading of passengers in Crame, Ortigas, Boni, Guadalupe, and Estrella. These vehicles will not have to jockey with the buses for unloading areas along EDSA if all passengers are Makati-bound.

“Bust those ‘colorum’ and unserviceable buses, taxi cabs, UV Express. There are so many of these on EDSA. Are traffic enforcers trained to distinguish which vehicles are colorum and which are not? And I do not understand why these public vehicles continue to obtain the renewal of franchises from the LTFRB or even be registered by the LTO without conducting inspections if they are still serviceable or already unsafe to run the streets of Metro Manila.

“Stay on your lane. For private vehicles going south, if the vehicle is Cubao or Ortigas bound, it should stay on the inner lanes. If it’s bound for Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay, the vehicle should stay on the middle lanes and carefully change lanes when approaching the destination. The other way around should be done going North from Pasay and Makati. This should minimize the endless swerving to the left and right before reaching their destinations.

“Three 8-hour shifts of traffic enforcers. EDSA must be watched over by the MMDA and PNP Highway Patrol Group 24 hours – everyday. This would not only ensure the orderly flow of traffic (particularly when heavy rains pour and roads are flooded), but would also prevent … robberies and accidents that usually happen during the late hours of the evening and wee hours of the morning. It is also during this time of day and night that colorum vehicles grab the chance to run along this highway. EDSA is now the same as a hospital. It needs traffic enforcers, as doctors/nurses, 24 hours to cure and manage the traffic conditions.

“Some portions of EDSA have been whittled down to five or six lanes. These are most probably the choke points of the highway. I think EDSA originally has eight to 10 lanes on both sides. Then those impractical … flyovers were constructed. How can six lanes squeeze in all the buses, cars, AUVs, SUVs, delivery vans, motorcycles?

“Did that government official know the meaning of “fatal” when he said that the traffic problem in EDSA is not fatal? He definitely needs a Thesaurus and an English-Filipino dictionary. Another one said that it is the effect of the economic boom because more people can now afford to buy new cars? What kind of people is he referring to? His kind? Do these government officials experience commuting three hours from home to office, eight to nine hours working in the office, another three hours going home from the office, from Monday to Friday/Saturday?

“It’s time for radical changes on EDSA. Changes and solutions should be conclusive and permanent and not to be altered again and again by the next administrations except for improvements. If traffic problems will finally be resolved on EDSA, some major thoroughfares and even secondary roads that have the same situations can be worked out.

“Discipline and determination are the key words. Discipline on the part of all drivers and passengers. Determination on the part of all traffic enforcers to manage the traffic and apprehend all traffic violators. Let us also include the commitment of business firms and the LGUs to join forces with the MMDA and PNP Highway Patrol Group. Let us all bring back the spectacular sight of the once called ‘Highway 54’.”

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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 [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.