And because yesterday was party time for the Philippine National Police Traffic Management Group (PNP-TMG), the situation in most roads resembled a postcard from hell.
Despite PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza’s pledge that some 700 policemen would be fielded to ease the expected heavy traffic during the holiday season, few policemen could be found on the streets yesterday afternoon until evening, apparently because they were all partying.
The dearth of traffic enforcers was aggravated by the usual malfunctioning of the multimillion-dollar Smart Traffic Light System (STLS), installed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
One sad example of how the TMG responds to traffic problems was the situation at the intersection of NAIA and Coastal Roads in Parañaque where a traffic light that has been busted for three months now resulted in flaring tempers and lost man-hours.
But the TMG base at Camp Crame couldn’t care less.
"It’s not within our jurisdiction," a policeman, who refused to identify himself, gruffly told The STAR.
According to the unidentified policeman, the area was not under TMG jurisdiction and there was no point in talking with TMG chief Superintendent Renato Paredes because the general was "busy" at their Christmas party.
Another TMG policeman insisted that while the TMG was supposed to manage traffic, responsibility for the intersection falls on the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) or the Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC).
"Huwag mo sabihin sa akin na wala kaming tao doon. Christmas party namin at isa pa hindi namin sakop ang lugar na sinasabi mo (Don’t tell me we don’t have men there. It’s our Christmas party and besides, the place you are telling me us is not under our jurisdiction)," the policeman said.
But who’s supposed to do the job if the TMG cannot manage traffic, asked engineer Dante Inciong, project manager of the DPWH Traffic Engineering Center (TEC).
Inciong said without policemen to enforce road discipline, the $22-million (or about P500-million) STLS is basically useless.
"When a public utility vehicle stops right on the machine’s (STLS’) sensor to wait and pick up passengers, the STLS can longer give appropriate feedback to the traffic center," Inciong said.
Inciong said STLS sensors are to be installed in 419 intersections in Metro Manila to monitor the traffic flow and automatically change traffic light signals depending on the volume of traffic.
Of the 419 intersections, at least 388 have traffic detector machines that are now on-line while 23 operate under the old system, Inciong said.
But the multimillion-dollar STLS also needs some supervision from traffic enforcers, like the TMG.
"Unless, we instill discipline among drivers, passengers and commuters, we cannot expect even the most sophisticated technology to work effectively," said TEC director Freddie Galano.
"It’s not a failure," Galano said. "It’s just that the smart traffic detector machine is not smart enough to understand the attitude of undisciplined drivers, motorists and pedestrians," Galano said.
Aside from undisciplined individuals, Galano said some traffic detector machines could not work effectively because of busted lights.
"How can motorists know that it’s red or green when there’s no traffic light at all," he said.
But Galano said changing traffic lights is not within their jurisdiction but under the MMDA.