Allow me to greet everyone a traffic-filled but always will be, a merry Christmas! And before we forget—let us congratulate ourselves for just enduring the long waits in line and on the road, just to make sure we finish our shopping and attend the numerous parties and family reunions that completes what it is to spend Christmas in the Philippines.
And so, in the spirit of Christmas, let me write down some of our transport and traffic wishes to make our lives in this urban jungle more bearable. These are not huge, cost-heavy infra-based items, but rather so low-hanging that all it takes is the Christmas spirit of giving, to make these happen.
1. Respecting pedestrians: Let’s admit it, pedestrians get the least respect on our roads. Except for our CBDs, sidewalks are nowhere to be found or had been encroached by vendors at the very least. To make it worse, motorists see pedestrians as competitors on the road, trying to beat them to the crossing. Let’s start respecting pedestrians and we start respecting ourselves.
2. Respecting motorcycles and vice versa: Just like pedestrians, motorcycle riders do not get the proper respect on the road. Major difference is that this goes both ways as we see riders crisscrossing the roads without road courtesies whatsoever. Let’s start remembering that motorcycle riders have as much right as we all do. And for the riders—please remember you only have as much right as everyone else.
3. Respecting our enforcers: Yes, we all had encountered Mr. kotong officer who milked us dry for whatever petty or imaginative violation, but majority of our enforcers are decent family men who, like us, are just earning their keep. Let us remember this next time we encounter them. And maybe thank them, as well, for the thankless job to make sense of the traffic mess we have.
4. For our PUV drivers—especially those driving jeepneys, buses and tricycles: Please respect everyone else. Yes, we get it. Life is hard. Probably even more for you. But we—your fellow Filipinos on the road, are not your enemies. Your difficulties do not justify the way you treat us—stopping anywhere, your smoke-belching vehicles, your illegal terminals, etc. Maybe also remind yourselves that your behavior on the road affect all of us. And we will be the first ones to join you in the line to fight for our common rights on the road.
5. For our private motorists: We can help ourselves and those whom we share the road by remembering one thing—Let us not do unto others what we don’t want them to do to us. Start by following traffic regulations, lining up, no counter flows, no illegal parking. And, lastly, let us remember that putting our hazard lights on does not justify loading/unloading anywhere or waiting for our passengers by the roadside.
6. For operators of malls and other business establishments—Please plan better parking space and your entries/exit better. You are already doing good business off us. And we do not mind. But the public roads are for all, and not just for those who line up or park to go to your establishments.
7. For our government regulators—Let us look at the situation simply as it is. We need more public transport on the road. Yes, thank you for less corruption than before—definitely heartfelt. But let’s catch up with the demand for more transport. And thank you for the long-term solutions, such as rails, tollways and new jeepneys. But right now, we need the “emergency room” solutions—TNCs, habal-habals, more buses, etc. Let’s try to meet demands for now while working on the future to happen.
There are still so many “low-hanging” steps for us to ensure the spirit of Christmas is alive on our roads for the rest of the year. We just need to remember that just like Christmas, we need to keep that spirit of giving and love to make life bearable and even provide meaning to our daily traffic grind. To all of us then, a merry, merry Christmas!!
Thomas Tim Orbos was former DOTr undersecretary for roads and general manager of the MMDA. He is currently undertaking further studies at the McCourt School of Public Policy of Georgetown University. He can be reached via e-mail at thomas_orbos@sloan.mit.edu