We probably have low survey ratings to thank for this. President Estrada, taking a more hands-on approach to governance, issued several directives the other day, all aimed at easing the traffic mess in Metro Manila. The Department of Public Works and Highways was ordered to clear all national roads of construction debris. The President ordered smoke-belching vehicles impounded and the operators of unregistered buses arrested. Tricycles and pedicabs must be kept off major thoroughfares. Knowing that floods have caused some of the worst traffic jams in recent years, the President also wants all drainage systems declogged and cleaned before the rainy season starts. At the same time, he shot down a plan to implement a carless day in Metro Manila. The proposal was opposed by several groups during a public hearing the other day.
Similar orders have been issued in the past. After much fanfare and the appointment of so-called traffic czars, what have we got? Even with school out and many people itching to go on Lenten vacation, traffic is still horrible in many parts of Metro Manila. Smoke belchers are all over. Buses, both registered and colorum, transform any spot into a terminal, often parking right alongside a no-loading zone sign. Tricycles and pedicabs roam where they please, under the noses of cops and traffic aides. No one regulates pedestrian traffic.
A President normally should not concern himself with a problem like untangling traffic, but there has been a failure of traffic management in Metro Manila. Efforts to improve traffic flow lack coordination among concerned agencies -- the Metro Manila Development Authority, local governments, the Philippine National Police, DPWH and public utility companies. Traffic aides obviously lack training in traffic management. Many traffic lights need fixing. Streets are closed to traffic with little effort to ensure that alternative routes are traffic-free. It takes ages to restore a street digging.
Driving in Metro Manila has become a daily nightmare. Thanks for the presidential directives, but we'll hold the applause until the orders are carried out.