Let the AAP do it

For those of you who may not realize it, we have a “National Automobile Club” in the Philippines. But unlike many car clubs that’s all about car ownership, Sunday drives and car shows, the Automobile Association of the Philippines or AAP is all about the more serious side of motoring such as providing many services that motorists require like roadside assistance, Vehicle transport via car carriers, authentication and issuance of international drivers license, road safety seminars, insurance coverage for both vehicle and drivers as well as tourism related activities such as motoring caravans to select points in the country.

Last week, the AAP was at the forefront of the first ever Asia Pacific Drive Tourism campaign aimed at formally categorizing automobile based tourism that incorporates road safety as well as promoting the development of motoring friendly tourism destinations and facilities. This effort goes along way towards developing and establishing “Drive Tourism” so that our road trips can go beyond just “happenings” or once a year events. By giving it a name, setting goals and standards, the AAP along with many tourism and environment ministers from the Asia Pacific as well as the FIA formally sends a message to all governments that “Drive Tourism” is a major contributor and must be accorded recognition and support in order to make automobile based tourism more enjoyable and safer.

Motorists in the Philippines take it for granted but the fact is our country is NOT developed to host automobile based tourism year round. The only time we see 24-hour road assistance, ambulance and medical emergency support and police visibility is during the traditional “Holy Week”, “All Souls Day”, and during the Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve pilgrimage to provinces. After that, you don’t see ambulances and mechanics along the way to many tourism destinations, in spite of the fact that every barangay along the national highways have their own compliment of ambulances just parked at the Barangay hall.

With the launch of the “Drive Tourism” program, maybe Secretary Mon Jimenez can appoint a new Undersecretary or “adviser” who has knowledge, contacts and vast experience on “Drive Tourism”. For the longest time we have taken this aspect of tourism for granted which is why we don’t have the best or sufficient directional signs, rest areas and assistance centers. Given that “Drive Tourism” is all about motoring, the Department of Tourism could easily get the support of car manufacturers; tire manufacturers, fuel companies, insurance companies and many others. It’s just a matter of sitting down with the AAP since they best represent driver interests in the country.

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After officially launching the “Drive Tourism” Conference the event organizers and VIPs motored to a designated location provided by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority where A “Road Safety Park” will soon rise to provide young people a place to enjoy and outdoor facility that is both tourism oriented while being an “educational facility” for Road Safety.

According to plans, the facility will feature some commercial establishments and will consolidate traffic rules, signage, and other traffic related concepts as well as some commercial establishments that cater to needs of tourists especially the young such as fast food outlets etc. By simulating actual environments but in a controlled manner, children and even their families can learn or re-learn road safety principles without risk to life and limb.

Perhaps, other schools, as well as parks should study the concept and integrate this in their development and operations plans. As far as I know the Subic Road Safety Park will be one of only two or the very few facilities fully dedicated to road safety. In Bicutan, there is the Honda Safety Driving and Riding School, where they teach drivers how to ride, drive and be safe on cars and Motorcycles in an area of approximately one hectare or more.

If and when the Department of Tourism decides to push for “Drive Tourism” they should incorporate such an integrated facility to be established somewhere in the many hectares of reclaimed land owned by the government near Manila Bay. It would certainly be cool to see a full tie-all year Go Kart & regular Race Track, special events site for “Drifting”, Drag Races as well as a humongous driving school and Road Safety Park. If we want to improve traffic and road safety in the future we need to educate the children Now!

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Speaking of the AAP, I think it’s about time we let them handle the “road side assistance” and towing services along EDSA and C-5.  Being the national automobile club, the AAP is a professionally run organization under the guidance of the country’s most respected motoring representatives and Journalists. The AAP also has the latest and some of the safest equipment and trained drivers and personnel who are well dressed, well mannered, and respectful.

In contrast, most of the crews we have observed along EDSA are rude, crude, and are constantly on “attack mode” itching to jump at drivers in trouble instead of prioritizing assistance. That is what happens, when the MMDA deputizes and partners with people who are “single proprietors” or “dodgy corporations” living from hand to mouth and paying employees and enforcers on commission basis.

The AAP on the other hand operates on multi-services, has a broad base of members all paying annual dues. Because of this, the AAP does not have sharks and crocodiles behind their wheels ready to bite off the head, the hands and the wallets of drivers in distress. When I shared the idea with fellow Philippine Star Columnist Boo Chanco, his initial reaction was that a number of people at the MMDA would resist the idea. This is exactly the reason we need to let the AAP do the job. MMDA people should not be in bed, in business or in collusion with towing companies or own them. If private corporations such as the ones running the NLEX and the SLEX trust the AAP, so should the MMDA because it’s about time we have professionals doing the job.

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