(This post is dedicated to Amiel Cabanlig who texted me rather ecstatically that so many people with wang-wangs were caught yesterday.)
A loud applause greeted President Noynoy Aquino's announcement of his "walang wangwang, walang counterflow" policy on June 30, 2010.
In a figurative sense, Aquino was perhaps talking about the rampant abuse of power under the previous administration and those that put themselves above the law. Perhaps the sight of those mammoth-like SUV's with flashing blinkers and blaring sirens weaving in and out of traffic lanes, in Noynoy's mind, was the appropriate visual language that would convey this. The applause that he heard, perhaps, confirmed this to him and his hangers on.
In a more literal sense, Aquino's words became a direct order to all traffic enforcers and policemen. It was an order that was followed quite zealously, and in some cases, stupidly.
As I understand it, only ambulances, firetrucks, and police cars as well as the President's car can use blinkers and sirens. Well, as I was passing by G. Tuazon, I saw two cops taking down the blinkers and sirens of an ambulance.
But as far as being a solution to the traffic woes of Metro Manila, eliminating wang-wangs is an epic fail.
On a daily basis, those that commit the worst abuse of power or privilege and put themselves above the law are not government officials who ride in SUVs with blinkers and sirens, but bus drivers, jeepney drivers, and pedicab drivers who have turned almost every street corner into their parking lot and the streets of Metro Manila into their private road.
If President Noynoy would care to really analyze the situation, government officials and perhaps their families have found it necessary to install wang-wangs on their cars because of the messy traffic situation caused by these public utility vehicle drivers.
Honking your horn at them does absolutely nothing.
President Noynoy's route to Malacanang is strewn with street corners which have turned into jeepney terminals and let me point out a couple that are probably the worst:
Going towards Malacanang on Quezon Avenue...
The corner of Roces Avenue... the front of Sto. Domingo church... the corner of Banawe... the corner of V. Cruz and Espana... the corner of Gov. Forbes and Espana... Morayta... Lepanto... and Mendiola...
I don't know if these corners are in the same state today, seeing it as the President now passes by Quezon Avenue and perhaps Espana on his way to work -- unless he takes the so-called Media Route or takes a left through G. Araneta and then Magsaysay.
The PSG and traffic enforcers on this route would have probably fixed up the cause of the traffic problems along the route he takes in order to ensure that Noynoy's convoy passes through without any unnecessary stops.
Yesterday morning, I did notice that traffic along Quezon Avenue was flowing much more freely than usual, but I don't expect it to last.
I'm sure, as soon as Noynoy takes up residence in Bahay Pangarap or wherever it is he is going to live in Malacanang, the traffic along Q. Ave will return to normal. Ganun ang Pinoy eh, magaling at pakitang gilas kapag may nakabantay.
Of course, I don't expect the President of the Republic of the Philippines to solve our traffic problems, this is something that is better delegated to his underlings.
However, since this Walang Wangwang Policy was hyped up quite a bit lately, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the chronic and acute abuses perpetrated by the masang manong drivers all over Metro Manila just to even things out.
The Walang Wang-Wang policy, if you care to believe me, people, is a ploy to pander to the these masang manong drivers and was not meant to solve any real problems.
Okay ba, mga boss?
2 comments:
I agree 100% with the highlighted statement referring to puvs as the ultimate cause of traffic. I'm sure if you take a copter and get a bird's eye view of the traffic in Manila, you'll see that wherever there is congestion, there would be buses, jeepneys or tricycles. I'm sure this fact is known by traffic officials and the police. But I guess these transport groups also pay a lot of grease money so that they can do whatever they want.
On this note, is there a website dedicated to problems we encounter in traffic? A site where we can upload photos of erring drivers, list of plate numbers of smoke belchers and speeding pubs.
Dapat ang traffic light ginagalang ng pedestrians, pero dapat din ang pedestrian lanes ginagalang ng motorists. Theres no need to have a traffic light and a zibra crossing at the same place. Pero sa pinas, pinagsamasama na ang pedestrian lane at traffic light pa, tas idagdag pa ang traffic police at mmda, e di pa rin maayos ang tawiran. Dapat traffic enforcers look for good case studies from other coutries how they resolve problems of traffic.
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