THE METRO Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has been doing its
best to reduce traffic in Metro Manila. Their latest projects include
installing new pink-colored waiting sheds along EDSA and painting
solid yellow lines on the road as a sign for vehicles.
However, I think bus drivers would not take too much effort to read
all those signs posted on the road. Meanwhile, the new waiting sheds
are very eye-catching and unique. It is only for passengers who wait
for bus. The problem is, hundreds of waiting sheds were placed in
the wrong spot—away from the passengers. As a result, bus drivers
load and unload in non-bus stop areas where they block one another.
They are also taking over the whole lane to embark passengers, and
it causes us a jam-packed traffic.
So MMDA should stop spending more money for having hundreds of waiting
sheds because it's just useless. To convince the people that it is
serious in its job, the MMDA should impose very strict rules for bus
drivers. A good example is in Ayala Avenue, where most of the traffic
aides are not involved in MMDA but they still do manage the traffic
situation in that area—especially the loading and unloading of
the passengers in the exact spot—very well. They get to discipline
the bus drivers.
It is important for the traffic enforcers to strictly implement the
rules. It is not enough to publicly humiliate the offenders by having
them sing the national anthem or do 100 push-ups every time they are
caught violating traffic rules. They should at least be suspended
for a month for their offenses. I think it's a better way for them
to realize and learn their lesson so they would not try to do it again.
