Metro Manila Traffic

As far as 1990s traffic in Metro Manila was already a pressing issue. In fact for our undergraduate thesis we developed an automated traffic control system and in this study we have identified key areas that needs to be addressed to solve the traffic congestion. First is the traffic control system that is adaptable and automated. Next is vehicle policies which should control volume and presence of vehicles. Third is pedestrian discpline where policies should be in place to discipline road behaviors. Fourth is drivers'  discipline abd courtesy in the road where policies should also be enforced. And lastly infrastructure to accommodate traffic volume. In our thesis we targeted the automated traffic control system. Our work has brought us to present even to national traffic forum sponsored byJICA and DOTC where we were lauded for our work.


So after 20 years, here are my thoughts on traffic in MetroManila
1. There are too many cars on the road. As evidence, people use the road as their parking. Two lane secondary roads become one lane because people park their cars on the road as their homes don't parking. We should have a policy no valid parking area no car ownership priviledge.
2. Intelligent and smarter traffic enforcers. Most often you find traffic enforcers in a group i  areas where there seemed to be no problem. In areas where you have congestion you would find them just waving their hands. The enforcers objective should be to enforce the law...keep the traffic moving..ie the faster they can move out vehicles from edsa the better the traffic congestion will ease up.
3. MMDA should seek help and solutions from the university. Mechanical and chemical engineering students can propose as thesis structural solutions to MetroManila traffic congestion. MMDA can actually make it as a competition. Engineering students have eng'g courses on fluid dynamics which gives them capacity to develop the solution.

What' your take on traffic now in MetroManila

Metro Manila Number Coding

By November 23, 2012, it would be the 17th anniversary of Metro Manila  Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), or more popularly named Number Coding. It's now a very very old solution to Metro Manila's traffic congestion woes. At its conception in 1995, there are about 1 million motor vehicles in MetroManila that will be addressed by the number coding.  However over the years, motor vehicle registrations have increased more than 50%, ie 1.7 million in 2010. Do you think the number coding will be able to control this figure?

Based from my experience during the early years of implementation, the number coding really reduced the traffic volume on EDSA. However, the coding scheme also benefited car dealers as people resorted to buying their second cars for the days that their primary car is prohibited from the roads. Maybe that's reason for the huge increase in motor vehicle registrations. What makes it worse today is the easy affordability now of new cars and the availability of mini/sub-compact cars.

Well the good news is that the new government today are looking at long term infrastructure to address traffic congestion like the proposed elevated EDSA, expansions of the light rail transit networks.

Actually there was a comment before, that you would not even fit all the vehicles on the roads of MetroManila because of the huge volume. Even in private residences alone, people have their 2nd/3rd/4th vehicles parked along the side of the road. As a result, the two-lane road reduces to one lane. The sad part is these owners of the parked vehicles along the road even put up no parking signs as if they own that part of the road.

For me, the real reason for our road traffic congestion is there is too much motor vehicles in the Metro. The government should look into minimizing the increase of vehicles. Maybe we should follow the likes of Singapore who auctions the license to own motor vehicles. In Hongkong, you can only own a motor vehicle if you have your own parking area. This is what I like most so we can have our roads cleared of illegally parked cars.

Traffic Violations

I get about 1 traffic violation every two years. For this year (hopefully no more violations), I got fined because I followed a fire truck which was on its way to an emergency situation. Actually, I gave way to the firetruck who was behind me at the traffic stop by moving to the center of the intersection so the firetruck can  pass. Then I had to clear the intersection but was confronted by the traffic officer. I reasoned with him that I had to give way to the firetruck and I had to clear the intersection. Unfortunately the traffic officer was unreasonable, so my driver's license was confiscated and I was given a traffic violation receipt (TVR).

Just this day I redeemed my driver's license from Traffic Management Pasig Office (TMPO) which was situated here near Pasig City Hall (within the Pasig City Firestation compound specifically along F Manalo St corner V. Baltazar St). The redeeming area is on the second floor of the TMPO office. I noted that there was no parking area at their office although there are adjacent open parking lots but they are full. Should you bring your car, you can park near the Pasig City Hall and can walk from there for about 5 minutes.

You wont miss the redemption area as you will see a lot of people lining up and most of them standing because of limited seats. The processing area is just along the building corridor so it would be quite hot during a sunny day. I arrived there just after lunch and it was good thing I had a face towel with me. 

The following are the procedures I have gone thru to redeem my driver's license.

1. Submit and place your TVR on a designated small plastic tray at the receiving area beside Window #1  (door on the right side of window #1, where you can find a traffic officer calling out names). Window #1 is found at the far end of the corridor

2. Wait for the traffic officer to call out your name. It took at least 60 minutes before my name was called.

3. Once your name is called by the traffic officer at receiving area, get your TVR and an attached sheet indicating the fee to be paid. 

4. Windows 2, 3 and 4 are the cashiers where to  pay the traffic violation fees. You can line up at any window.

5. Write on the attached sheet to your TVR your address and contact number. There are ball pens on the cashier windows which you can use. 

6. Pay the traffic violation fee and get the payment receipt attached with the TVR. It took about 30 minutes for this.

7. Submit the payment receipt with TVR to Window 1. Your driver's license and receipt will be issued.

The whole redemption process took about 1.5 hours. I had my driver's license released in Makati and Mandaluyong City in less than an hour when I redeemed them in the morning. Processing in MMDA is a lot longer ie 3 hours because of the volume.

Here is tip to reduce your fines to be paid. You can actually get a 20% discount by going to the 7F of the Pasig City Hall and get your TVR stamped with a discount from one of the city councilor's office. I did not bother to do it because I was on a rush.