A Blessed Christmas to all!
We deviate from our usual topics to greet everyone on this Christmas Day. Maligayang Pasko!
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Reviving an old public transport option
There is some nostalgia about the first air-conditioned public transport mode in the Philippines (correct me if I’m wrong). The Love Bus, as it was called, was operated by the Metro Manila Transit Corporation (MMTC), which is a government owned and controlled corporation. There’s a lot about the MMTC that could be the subject of a series of articles but those are for other days. Suffice it to say here that MMTC provided several types of bus services using different bus models including double deckers. Their most popular though more expensive service is the air-conditioned Love Bus. I was able to take the Love Bus from Cubao to UP Diliman during its waning period of operations in the late 1980s. At the time, the buses entered the campus and I could get off at the nearest stop to Melchor Hall. Those buses terminated at Ateneo near the Blue Eagle Gym. Also, at the time, there were already smaller aircon buses but these were not branded as Love Bus.
I spotted the current incarnation of the Love Bus in the form of a “modernized jeepney.” Like other “modernized jeepneys,” the vehicle is actually a mini-bus. The vehicles are electric and run by Get COMET, a company that used to run an electric jeepney service along Katipunan Avenue. Sometime before the pandemic, they ceased operations. And so this is somewhat a shot at redemption. A comeback given the proliferation of “modernized jeepneys” of various models (many of which are not electric of hybrid).
This revival of the Love Bus is an electric vehicle operated by GET, which is the company behind the COMET.
The livery is a throwback to the original Love Bus. They should have also included the “Save Gas” slogan that were in the original buses.
Will these buses stay in business? Will they help popularize public transport? The jury is still out there as currently they are few and there are many competing options along their route. Their presence though is very welcome and perhaps the nostalgia will translate into encouraging more people to take public transportation.
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Green GSM taxi first impressions
These past months, I have been alternately using Grab and In Drive vehicles for my commutes. If I had another choice, it would have been Green GSM taxi. I have used their taxis traveling between Quezon City Pasig City and within Quezon City. So far, it’s been a good experience including in terms of the fares I’ve paid. Green GSM boasts of an all electric vehicle fleet. They are also a big company compared to the current taxi operators in Metro Manila. I think what may be comparable in terms of fleet size would be the taxi companies in Cebu, Iloilo and Davao. The difference, however, is in terms of their business models. The usual taxis are still basically rental vehicles for the drivers. The latter pay the owners/operators a fee (i.e., boundary) and usually the drivers have to cover fuel and other operating and maintenance costs.
The Green GSM taxi drivers I’ve talked to say they receive a regular salary and have benefits very much like regular employees. They also had accredited stations where they can charge their vehicles or conduct maintenance such as change tires. You can also hail them on the street much like the conventional taxis. You don’t need an app to book a ride but it is more convenient to use their app. The limitation though is that currently you can only book a ride using their app for trips within Metro Manila. If you’re heading out like to Antipolo City, the app will display an error in terms of coverage area. If you happen to hail one of their taxis though, you can use them to go outside Metro Manila. I’ve seen them in Antipolo, Cainta and Taytay so I guess you can also hail them instead of being dependent on the app.
I have a couple of students whose research topic is on Green GSM Taxis characteristics. We’ll soon find out more of their operating characteristics and how their attributes compare with those of TNVS or ride-hailing services like Grab and In Drive.
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New self check-in portals and turnstiles at NAIA Terminals 2 and 3
With the holidays coming up, travelers using the NAIA terminals should also note that there are new self check-in portals at the airport. I noticed in two recent travels (one via Terminal 2 and another via Terminal 3) that people taking Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines were not using these. Ceb Pac passengers in particular crowded over their portals near their check-in counters at T3. Walang pumapansin nitong mga bagong terminals that could save you time when you check-in. Here are photos of the ones at Terminal 2:
The areas where these were installed weren’t crowded.
You can use these for Cebu Pacific, Air Asia or Philippine Airlines.
You can get your boarding passes and luggage tags here.
NAIA admin has also installed these new automated turnstiles prior to the final security check and the boarding gates at Terminal 2.
You just need to scan your boarding pass for the barrier to open. I haven’t used any of the LRT/MRT lines lately but this is basically the technology we’d like to have for the station turnstiles.
Here are the self-check portals at T3. Of course, they would have even greater utility if more airlines are included for self check-in.
Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) terminals already have these new features for quite some time. It’s good that NAIA is finally catching up in modernizing its facilities. For the turnstiles, that tech should have been installed at train stations and a variant should allow for a variety of means for payment of fares.
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“Nobody Walks Here. It’s Too Hot or Cold or Wet or Dry.”
I’m sharing this article as it provides a clear response to the question about walking under different circumstances. Those circumstances include weather conditions. How many times have we heard people saying “people won’t walk because it’s too hot or rainy” ? Maulan (rainy)! Mainit (too hot)! And yet we find a lot of people walking, even when its extremely hot or the rains are pouring.
Source: “Nobody Walks Here. It’s Too Hot or Cold or Wet or Dry.”
Quoting from the article:
“The human ability to adapt is the key to our spectacular success on this planet. Our problem is that the people who lead our public conversations, our elites of wealth and opinion, are often some of the least adaptable people on earth. And when societies assume that we should listen to those people, we all end up internalizing the message that there’s something wrong with us if we even try to walk…
…Sometimes walking a few blocks is the key to liberty and prosperity in someone’s life. Most people do what makes sense in the place where they live. Only if we recognize that will we make the investments in urban design to make walking more bearable in extreme weather. And only then will our cities include everyone.”
Here’s another quote and a take on what certain people say that often influences our choice for walking:
“The functionality of a city, and of its transport system, arises from the sum of everyone’s choices about how to travel, not just the preferences of elites. When elites make pronouncements about what “people” will tolerate, while really speaking only of themselves, they mislead us about how cities actually succeed. They also demean the contributions of the vast majority of people who are in fact tolerating extreme weather to do whatever will give their lives meaning and value.”
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Good Transit Is Simple: Lessons in Good Route Design
Here is a quick share of an article on good route design:
Source: Good Transit Is Simple: Lessons in Good Route Design
I won’t be posting a quote from the article as there is really no summary to it. The article identifies the characteristics of a good transit route as well as the “don’t’s” or “no – no’s”.
On road crashes involving trucks in Antipolo – again
There was another terrible road crash last week (November 25) involving a truck. At least 3 people, all motorcycle riders, died in the crash as the truck slammed into them at the Sumulong Highway-Olalia Road intersection. This was around 7AM, during the peak at the area where a nearby school generates much traffic, and many commuters are traveling along the highway as they head to work and school on a Tuesday morning.
This was along my usual route to the office and at around the same time I pass by the area during my commute. I wondered if I could have been involved if I took that route. Waze directed me instead to Ortigas Avenue Extension that morning as I left for the office.
The cause of the crash were said to be faulty brakes that led to the driver losing control of the vehicles. How many times have we heard or read about this reason? And how can authorities especially the LGU can reduce the likelihood of these crashes? Shouldn’t there be a checkpoint or checkpoints for these trucks to show their maintenance records are up to date? Should there be staff on the lookout through the numerous CCTVs installed for reckless or aggressive driving? Should drivers be regularly tested (random perhaps?) for alcohol or drugs? How can the LGU be more engaged in road safety so as to prevent the loss of lives?
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Public transport in Iloilo
I took some snapshots of public transportation on my recent travel to Iloilo. These are typical PUVs you would find in most towns across the country. Iloilo’s have some distinct features that they also share with other towns in other provinces.
A typical tricycle along the Iloilo-Antique road seats 8 to 9 passengers. Sometimes passengers even sit on top of the sidecar. Sidecars here and other provinces often have roofs designed to carry heavy loads including agricultural products. Usual trike sidecar seating have passengers facing front. This one has them “talikuran” or “back to back” with some passengers facing back – not really a nice view when traveling along a highway and vehicles tailing or bearing down on the trike.
The typical jeepney in Iloilo is stretched whether it’s for inter-town or city operations. Instead of having the ‘face’ of the jeep (from which jeepneys evolved from), they use the front of the Toyota Fortuner or Mitsubishi Montero. These seat 20 to 24 passengers not counting those who are seated on the bench along the aisle. I wonder what engines they now use for these vehicles.
I took this fleeting photo of a bus. For me it wasn’t just a regular bus like the Ceres buses that now dominate the inter-provincial routes. This was a Calinog Bus Line (CBL) bus. We used to take their buses whenever we traveled from Cabatuan town proper to Tigbauan Road. One of my aunts also rode on these buses going to work as a teacher in another town along its route.
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Traffic calming devices in the vicinity of schools – speed tables
Traffic calming devices are an effective means to reduce speeds especially where there are many pedestrians crossing the streets. These are usually applied near schools where there are significant numbers of pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren. Following are examples of raised crossings or speed tables located at the approaches and exits of an intersection in Naga City. These are located at the intersection of J. Hernandez Avenue and P. Burgos Street. Burgos leads straight to the main gate of the University of Nueva Caceres. However, there is no raised crossing for Burgos. There are only those for both legs of Hernandez.
Speed table along north approach of J. Hernandez Avenue
On the other side, there is another raised crossing along J. Hernandez Avenue.
POV of a pedestrian crossing at the speed table towards the UNC main gate (to the left in the photo).
There is a need to have these traffic calming devices in other locations across the city and particularly near schools where crossings are located and vehicle speeds need to be reduced. There should be no exceptions for the application of traffic calming. That includes national roads along which certain agencies like the DPWH like to maintain higher speeds despite the obvious risks posed on pedestrians. Many schools are located along national highways and raised crossings can be designed to reduce speeds while offering safe crossings to schoolchildren. We just have to change mindsets pertaining to safety and priorities.
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Caught (up) in traffic 