Signs! Signs! Signs!

How would you feel when you come out of a restaurant after a satisfying lunch to discover that your vehicle is no longer where you parked it and find out that it has been towed away for being parked illegally?

TV executive Ralph Roy experienced this the other day in Makati after having lunch at the Old Swiss Inn located behind The Peninsula Manila Hotel. And according to him his first reaction was to find out where he went wrong. He looked for signs anywhere near where he parked his car, which was in the vicinity of Urdaneta corner Sto. Tomas streets. Although in the past he had seen vehicles parked in this area, he wanted to make sure. The parking rules may have again been changed and an obscure sign may have been put up to announce it — but then according to him there wasn’t.

He was finally able to come across an MMDA tow truck man by the name of Mr. Villacampa who he asked why his vehicle was towed. The tow truck guy said it was towed because it was illegally parked. Then Ralph argued that there was no sign to say that this area is now considered a "No Parking Zone". And that was the moment when he was aghast as he was shown a piece of paper that appeared to be a memorandum of some sort, that’s supposed instructions that there’s now an ordinance declaring that parking is no longer allowed in the area.

Ralph can only blurt out, "But where are the visible signs that would inform the motoring public that such a new ordinance exists? Do we look into every traffic enforcer’s pocket for a piece of paper in order to find out if there are new ordinances?"

Being where I am, I get to be a receptacle of complaints from motorists regarding a bevy of motoring problems and this situation is nothing new to me. This has been reported to me to have happened in some parts of the Metro but something new for me in Makati City. I have high regard for Mayor Jojo Binay especially when it comes to looking into the needs of his Makati constituents. His reputation of having a kind of governance that looks almost in detail into the requirements of the city dwellers, especially those with less in life and those who are senior in age, precedes him. Having said that, the good Mayor may also take the lead in putting some order into the "traffic signage system" in the metropolis to help not only those from Makati but also to include those who work there or drive through this premier business district of the country.

There’s presently no rhyme and reason when it comes to the traffic signs in Metro Manila — they come in all sizes, shapes and would you believe, sometimes in atrocious colors. Our traffic authorities defy the international standards of traffic signs that have been approved in a world accord of which the Philippines is a signatory. Now, the worse part of the equation aside from the presence of off-standard signs and those that are confusing and contrary to each other is the "absence" of signs where there are most vital — like in the scenario we just earlier mentioned. The absence of warning signs that help in maintaining motorists’ safety like in areas where there are traffic hazards is another story all together. A lot of road accidents have occurred due to the lack and worst, absence of warning signs.

There’s this present crack-down on illegal billboards. Why not on illegal, off-standard traffic signs too? Mayor Jojo, why don’t we take them all out of Makati and make the city a model for having internationally accepted traffic signs (size, shape and color) all over?

And please, let’s tell our traffic enforcers to have no more "traps" similar to the one cited above where changes in traffic rules are announced in "memos" found only in traffic enforcers’ pockets and not on visible signs on the streets.

Toyota Advances with the Avanza

"The Avanza is an entry level Multi-Purpose Vehicle that combines the elements of versatility, quality and affordability. It comes from the Italian word "Avanzato" which means, "advance." Thus, the Avanza is the perfect vehicle for the growing modern Filipino family as they move ahead and move forward in life," so goes the welcome speech of Toyota Motor Philippines president, Mr. Hiroshi Ito during the media launch of what it calls the "compact multipurpose vehicle for both personal and utilitarian usage", last week at the EDSA Shangri La Hotel.

Developed specifically for the Asean region, the Avanza was first introduced in Indonesia in January 2004, followed by Malaysia and Thailand and subsequently in Mexico. Since its introduction 210,000 units have been sold in Asia, Toyota’s proof of its acceptance and success.

With a dual air-conditioned cabin that can accommodate seven passengers comfortably in all its three rows, the Avanza comes with either 1.5 (16 valve VVT-I, maximum output of 109ps @ 6,000 rpm and torque of 141Nm @ 4,400 rpm) or 1.3 (92ps @ 6000 rpm and torque of 120Nm @ 4,400 rpm) liter engines and has claims of low fuel consumption even when carrying many passengers or heavy loads.

The Avanza comes as CBUs or Completely Built Units in three variants: 1.5G (automatic) at P773,000, 1.5G (manual) at P738,000 and the 1.3J available only in manual at P582,000 and all of them can now be checked out and test driven in Toyota showrooms all over the country.

Reduction of toll fees in the NLEX?

You better believe it and coming straight from the lips of a known man of integrity like Jose "Ping" de Jesus, president of MNTC, Manila North Tollways Corporation, the prospect of having the toll fees lowered or just having it maintained sans any increases anytime in the near future will not be at all remote.

And the reason for Ping’s confidence is the recent re-financing and restructuring of MNTC’s loan facility — this time no longer purely dollar denominated but with a peso loan component. In the past a number of well-meaning companies folded up not because of mismanagement or bad business but purely because their financing were purely in dollar denomination and the weakening of the peso wrecked havoc into their finances. And according to Mr. de Jesus a dollar and peso loan combination is a well-thought-out strategy to reduce foreign exchange risks for MNTC.

And as an assurance for the motoring public, especially those who frequently use the NLEX and for the country as a whole, the mild-mannered MNTC president went on in his speech delivered during the reception marking the signing of MNTC’s Refinancing Program, "The high standards of road quality structure and service will continue to be upheld. The comfort and ease that we who are motorists have already experienced must remain part of our everyday lives. And the catalyst that has spurred development in central Luzon and beyond must remain well-managed — so that our cherished goals are met."

More fine vehicles from Subaru

While I was out the other week for my first-ever real jungle off-road experience, Nicky Mariano and Ariel de Jesus, long-time friends who used to work for different automobile companies who have decided to combine their now fine-tuned talents in auto marketing to lead Motor Image Pilipinas as country manager and marketing manager respectively, launched the 2007 Outback 3.0R and Legacy 2.0R, two remarkable automobiles bearing the Subaru marquee.

The 2007 Outback has been equipped with new features including the SI-DRIVE or Subaru Intelligent Drive System that allows the driver to select from three different driving modes with a simple flick of the switch.

The 2007 Legacy 2.0R on the other hand, features new exterior and interior improvements and is now available in two distinct variants — a sports executive sedan and an executive wagon model.

Both outstanding models utilize the Subaru core technology of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive that allows the vehicle to perform in any kind of weather or road surface maintaining traction and stability under any driving condition.

The 2007 Outback and Legacy can be seen up close and test driven at the Subaru Center located in EDSA, Greenhills.

Happy Motoring!!!

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