The Problem with EDSA

So I read that the first day of MMDA's traffic scheme for not allowing provincial buses in EDSA was a failure because of the TRO they received as well as the fact that during the testing phase it is on a voluntary basis from the bus operators.

Then the MMDA has also been stricter in implementing the yellow bus lane that limits the busses to two lanes and giving three lanes to private vehicles.

We have the color coding scheme as well and although Pasig recently removed the odd-even scheme that they had but people are now complaining that it is worst and to avoid C5 and other major thoroughfares around the Pasig area. So instead of having alternative routes it causes more bottlenecks.

There have been a lot of street clearing operations in majority of the metro cities which is commendable and may provide some relief.

City governments have also coordinated with opening subdivision roads as alternative routes but have received a lot of push backs from homeowner associations.

A lot of legislation is being focused on stricter measures on buying private vehicles and having a garage so that it does not become road obstructions and naturally car owners are against it.

A lot of comments of being anti-poor and anti-the masses as opposed to being pro carcentric has been flung around as calls to remove more busses and PUJs especially colorum operators which in a way to me makes some sense because a lot of drivers of these PUVs have no discipline. A lot of the loading and drop off points become unofficial terminals because the drivers try to get as many passengers as they can. This is because of the boundaries that they need to earn and they will cut off any competition they have to earn more.

Let us not even talk about the MRT because even with all the added trains it is simply not enough and people experience long lines lasting 1 to 2 hours before they can even get into the loading platforms.

It really sucks to commute in Metro Manila. This is why more people opt to have private vehicles because our transportation system is highly inefficient.

One of the reasons is because we are overpopulated. Metro Manila simply cannot handle all the people that works, does business and travel here because almost everything of importance is located here.

We have to move opportunities outside the metro. Create more hubs and decentralize the monopoly of "Imperial Manila"

End provincial rates for employees and make it more profitable for businesses to be run outside of Metro Manila.

Make our transportation system more efficient.

With the way things are going we are sure to have a series of Carmaggedon instances during November and December.

It will be tough but things simply cannot remain as it is now.