The EDSA traffic railings stay

We have been receiving several inquiries regarding what some even describe as monstrosities in EDSA referring to those cage-like railings that can be seen in Cubao and near the Magallanes interchange in Makati.

These railings are in response to the stubbornness of many bus drivers who did not respond well to many of the MMDA traffic policies that were designed to put some order in our bus loading and unloading areas.

The railings are there to keep these buses in line and prevent the drivers from rudely hustling for better spaces in the loading areas while wooing their passengers and in the process block entire lanes and cause added traffic congestion.

According to MMDA officials they were almost mobbed during the initial stages of this traffic management experiment but are now getting the "thumbs up" from the drivers themselves as they realize that its doable and more advantageous for them and for the commuting public.

Well, if it’s working then let them stay. However, the MMDA should study further how to make these cage-like structures more safe for motorists especially at night by putting a lot of reflectors to warn drivers of their existence.

More Power In The City

It was in 1996 when the Honda City was first introduced and since then, what has been touted as the "Amazing Sedan" has lived up to what it has been designed to be — a dependable and high quality entry-level sedan.

However, last year the all new City came out with what has been described by many as breakthrough advances in styling, performance and economy and its much publicized class-leading and overwhelming demand was addressed by Honda Cars Philippines with two major actions.

First is the resumption of the City’s production in Honda’s local manufacturing plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Honda Cars Philippines regards this move as a testament to its firm commitment to the Philippine economy and a recognition of the highly skilled Filipino workforce as well as providing business opportunities to automotive parts suppliers.

This economy-boosting move is coupled with a revamp of the City line up with the introduction of a more powerful variant, the 1.5-liter VTEC — an answer to the market’s clamor for a stronger engine to meet more stringent performance demands.

This more powerful Honda City was the variant on center stage during that "test drive cum sojourn" we had two weeks ago in the world-renowned Boracay Beach. It was also officially launched last Monday evening at Speedzone at The Fort.

The invited members of motoring media were flagged off right by the airport in Kalibo, Aklan for a scheduled almost one-hour drive to Katiklan, where a boat was waiting to shuttle us to the island itself. However, the motoring journalists took only almost half the time, what with this new engine capable of delivering top power of 110 ps @ 5,800 rpm and max torque of 14.5 kg-m @ 4,800 rpm.

According to Arnel Doria, Honda Cars Philippines deputy head for marketing, during the briefing done as soon as the group laid foot on the talcum-like sands of Boracay, "That trip in itself showed you vividly one of the major differences of the City 1.5 VTEC model from the 1.3 i-DSI variant."

Aside from the graphic difference in power, another feature most enjoyed by many of the motoring journalists while zooming through the mostly snaking roads between Kalibo and Caticlan was the "F1-like" fingertip controlled shifting of gears right at the steering wheel.

Arnel explained, "This unique feature is inspired by Honda’s rich heritage in racing technology. It’s brought about with the integration of Honda’s innovative CVT or Continuously Variable Transmission, which automatically changes driving mode for optimum control. It gives the options of whether to let the car shift gears itself or the driver just by the fingertips. The City combines the best of automatic and manual transmission in a single system for a seamless, shift shock-free driving pleasure."

Other features of the City 1.5 that were highlighted in our test drive were its ABS or Anti-lock Braking System, EBD or Electronic Brake Force Distribution, BA or Brake Assist, Dual SRS or Supplemental Restraint System to mention some.

The new City 1.5 variants price range is from P619,000 to P699,000 and are now available for your close scrutiny and test drive at any of the Honda showrooms located all over the country.

Pit Lane Notes

Mark Webber is being eyed to replace Juan Pablo Montoya once the Columbian leaves Williams for McLaren next year. However, Webber has disclosed that he is seriously considering remaining at Jaguar where he says he has developed a very close relationship with everyone in the team. According to him, he won’t leave Jaguar unless Williams can assure him that he will one day dominate the sport. Jaguar’s Tony Purnell is quite keen on making the young Australian stay at least another year and is hell-bent on making the needed cam improvements that would make Webber’s decision easier. Purnell said that Mark was the perfect driver — very competitive, yet his fame hasn’t gone to his head.

It seems like Juan Pablo Montoya is making a career out of making at least one Schumacher’s race weekend hell. In Monaco, Michael was forced to retire after a run-in with the Columbian in a tunnel. In the European Grand Prix, it was Ralf’s turn — they collided due to Montoya braking a split-second too late. Ralf, however, unlike big brother Michael, did not take the incident personally. He said that Juan had nowhere else to go, and although not finishing his home race was very disappointing, it’s something he shouldn’t dwell on.

It’s no secret that Team McLaren’s year isn’t going the way they planned. Kimi Raikkonen and David Coulthard are both having nightmare seasons, and their cars’ reliability is to blame. A lot of people are saying that Montoya is reconsidering his decision of leaving BMW-Williams and joining McLaren because he doesn’t want to be plagued by car problems next season. The Columbian denied all reports of him having second thoughts about joining the Silver Arrows. According to him, McLaren will be coming out with a new car very soon, and he said that it’s hopefully going to be more competitive, and that he’s sure they’ll be ready when he gets there.

It’s the Canadian Grand Prix this Sunday and notwithstanding the mumblings of those "dyed in the wool" racing buffs of a boring 2004 World Formula One Series, you can bet your bottom peso that they’ll stay up late (Monday early morning is the "live" coverage on cable here in the country) despite the prospect of being groggy and sleepy for work or school in a couple of hours after the race coverage.

Motoring Tip Of The Week

The pouring rains of the wet season are almost here and now is the best time to check on our vehicle’s weather strips on the windshields and on the doors.

It’s easy to check on the windshield strips by just pouring water on the joints and see if there is any seepage inside, that is if there isn’t any yet when it rains hard.

The door strips are a lot trickier to detect and would require some expert help from your dealer to determine if they need any changing.

It’s already difficult to drive under pouring rain but a lot harder if it also rains inside your vehicle.

Happy Motoring!!!

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