Do the locomotion

The MRT railway system might be the most fantastic ride in all of Manila. As we all know how toxic EDSA rush hour can be, I admit I get a slight kick when I look down from my great stead (going at around 60 kph) to see all those work horses trodding in EDSA muck (at around 2-5 kph), destined to be staring at the same behind for the next two hours. And you only need a small amount of pesos for the experience.

Well, it used to be relatively small. Now, there’s an imminent hike in the fare just around the corner, with the fare double of what it used to be. Naturally, there are violent reactions from commuters. But one thing is for sure: We must do whatever it takes to keep the railway systems a viable mode of transportation.

The real cost of transporting a passenger on the train may go as high as P60. The commuters are paying for about P15. The taxpayers all over the archipelago are paying about P45. Hence, the government decides to adopt a “users pay” concept, where regular fare is around P25.

Sim City Transportation

Fact: Transportation railway systems never make money. This applies to countries all over the globe, third world and above. I first encountered this while playing Sim City, where I would build successful cities that make money in all areas, except the only thing always running on a deficit was my subways. It was quite frustrating.

That is until I learned (in the real world) that the public train was never meant to recoup investments. It is subsidized by the government or, in more transparent terms, paid for by the regular taxpayer— all the working people out there like your parents and yourself — for one main reason.

There are taxpaying citizens who think they shouldn’t be paying for the train they never use. But they fail to see that the car-driving taxpayer needs the regular commuter to keep the city running. And with a rapid train system, it simply helps everything run better.

It’s all a natural cycle in the bee hive, really. The train is the fastest and most efficient means to help keep the hive running smoothly. Without the train, EDSA would simply be overrun by those gigantic buses which, more often than not, have pea-sized brains for drivers.

Call me Hitler, but it is my dream to one day see the roads cleared of those monstrous things. There are simply too many damn buses. Like I said, they are gigantic and have peas for brains. Much like the ancient dinosaurs, which eventually became extinct.

I know these guys are only trying to make a living. But they are the only mechanical species on EDSA who can recreate rush hour traffic at 10 in the morning, simply by clumping together beside a busy pedestrian highway, like a pack hunting for prey. They’ve got to learn more manners than licking their bloodied chops.

Unexpected Muck Solutions

I also have more selfish reasons for wanting a smooth and working train system. On regular days, whenever there’s unexpected muck on EDSA, it has always been a good alternative to hop off my cab and go up to one of the stations. It cuts down time wasted in a slow-motion car by about 80 percent.

On a quiet Sunday, I simply love taking leisurely rides, north to south and back. I get to observe people and enjoy some quiet moving time, minus the horde of sweaty bodies going to work.

Also in the future, magnetic levitation will be the next frontier in rapid transit systems. The first commercial high-speed maglev line in the world —the flashy Shanghai Transrapid— has a top operational speed of 431 km/h. If there were clouds on the ground, you’d probably think you were flying. That thing is a virtual train-plane.

And when the Age of Oil comes to an end, along with the glaring threat of global warming, modern train systems will be the more eco-friendly approach to transportation. Their roadbed needs less space than a four-lane highway. And with the exemplary example of the maglev train, if operated responsibly, it can be pollution-free. Zero-carbon emissions is always a good thing.

So think of the future as the movie Minority Report, with EDSA being replaced by huge infrastructural highways similar to high-tech rollercoasters, and they’re right outside your door. Families will be living like The Jetsons, travelling to friendly neighbors aboard levitating pod, just for a glass of lemonade. So come on, do the locomotion with me.

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