"Panelo is taking public transportation today. Fantastic."
"Panelo is taking public transportation today. Fantastic."
Our officials in charge of public transport claim that there is no transport crisis. Yeah right, That is like being in a state of denial that there is no dengue epidemic, polio is not back and the African Swine Fever is not real.
Adding to the unreality of the situation is Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo’s announcement he will take public transport today, Friday. The questions being asked of Panelo is whether he will join the long line of commuters waiting outside to get in to buy a ticket or will his security men muscle their way in to get their boss and their tickets ahead of the ordinary commuter? Your guess is as good mine.
Then with Panelo’s coterie of at least six security detail, they can only add to the congestion of riders on the Metro Rail Transit or the Light Rail Transit depending on which one he takes. Will he be given a reserved seat or will he stand up and hold on the straps like the other commuters?
Panelo’s plan to take public transport seems more like a publicity stunt more than anything else. If at all, Panelo can only validate the transport crisis or claim against the reality of the situation that there is no transport crisis. That is like the old fable of saying the naked emperor is wearing clothes.
The government has announced constructing a skyway over Edsa to ease traffic below. But that will fast track the volume of vehicles at the exit point at the Ayala Avenue and Buendia exits to clog the already massive traffic in the Makati Business District area.
It took me an hour by taxi to go from Arnaiz to Jupiter Street in Makati during the 6 p.m. peak hour last Friday. Can you imagine what a skyway on top of Edsa will do when it unleashes all that traffic above and below in Makati?
A diffusion of traffic is what seems more the solution. The plan for Chinese loan to build three more bridges across the Pasig might work in creating alternative outlets to the Makati business district. This, plus adding more train carriages to both the MRT and LRT. Progressive countries know that an efficient rail system and people mover help decongest road traffic and discourage motorists from using their cars.
Adding more carriages to the MRT and LRT systems would require money. Perhaps Malacanang should reconsider its plan to purchase a private plane for the President’s foreign trips and instead use the funds for buying more carriages to accommodate more commuters. The people’s welfare should take precedence over the President’s convenience, right?
The reality of the transport problem is that government officials are in a state of denial. The first step is for the government to accept the reality of the problem and come up with solutions to address it.
The cost of the monstrous traffic problem is enormous in terms of lost manpower and productivity which comes up to millions of pesos daily. In the overall picture, foreign investors balk at coming into the country because of workers not being able to come in on time.
The latest poll survey showed President Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity rating dropped two digits. While the Palace does not seem too concerned about it, this rating fall can be traced to the government being unable to deal with the transport crisis.
The President is on his last three years in office. A few more points’ drop in his acceptance rating could lead to his political party’s downfall and the resurgence of the discredited Liberal Party.
The year 2022 is not too far from now. Will Duterte allow the demise of his PDP-Laban party and the split of the supermajority in Congress? The supermajority in Congress is not a solid bloc and is only held together by presidential funds which congressmen need for their district projects so they can stay in power.