On license plates
More than 2 years ago, the current administration made an inspired move after the President mentioned in his inaugural speech that he was among those who didn’t like “wangwang” (sirens) and associated these with abusiveness, of feelings of entitlement among road users. The use of sirens and other similar devices tells people that the user is an “important” person whose time is more valuable than others.
Whatever happened to the drive against “wangwang” in all its forms? The proliferation of commemorative plates, for one, can be a form of “wangwang.” While the Land Transportation Office (LTO) came up with a memo a few years ago providing clear instructions on how the commemorative plate should be displayed (i.e., on top or above the legal plate), many have returned to the practice of replacing the license plate (hiding it) with the commemorative one. This is especially true for those plates bearing police, military, government, and other agencies or organizations that can be used to make traffic enforcers think twice about apprehending a motorist for legitimate traffic violations. One sees such plates everywhere screaming “PNP,” “CIDG,” “NBI,” “PMA,” “Prosecutor,” “Councilor,” etc. and you know these are statements that are meant to intimidate traffic enforcers, which is often denied by the guilty party.
Then there is also the abuse of special plates, particularly those supposedly assigned to lawmakers. How many people have “8” as their license plates? Do children or staff of senators and congressmen enjoy the same privileges as the elected official? In the past, plates bearing “8” also indicated the district represented by the person supposedly using the vehicle. And so you would know, for example, if the person happens to be from the 1st District of Iloilo or the 3rd District of Quezon City. The same goes for vehicles bearing “16” and other special plates indicating someone holding a high position in government. Nowadays, even family members and staff members of these officials use the special plates, thereby extending to them the courtesies usually given to elected or appointed officials like not being covered by the number coding scheme in Metro Manila. This should not be the case for such “extensions” if we are to enforce the law firmly and fairly.
In certain cases, worse are those who use neither license plates or authorized commemorative ones. There seems to be a proliferation of people using personalized, souvenir or replica plates from other countries. These are often used in lieu of the rear license plates. These are claimed to be harmless since traffic enforcers usually check only the front plates for registration and compliance to number coding. However, there are implications for when the driver and the vehicle are involved in incidents such as traffic violations or crashes (e.g., hit and run incidents). While witnesses would probably be able to describe the car, the license plate cannot be recorded. Therefore, it would be quite difficult to trace the vehicle’s ownership information that could be retrieved from the LTO’s computer records to identify the violator or suspect in an incident.
The legal plate is deliberately obscured on this one as it is hidden in the rear bumper.
The plate suggests one is driving in Europe rather than along C-5 somewhere in Pasig City
This one thinks he’s driving in Japan.
Perhaps the LTO and traffic enforcers who are deputized by the agency should also clamp down on these cases of violating RA 4136. The idea is to have a campaign similar to what was implemented to rid our roads of the annoying “wangwang” back in 2010. Such an initiative should help promote discipline on our roads in the sense that motorists would be more aware of traffic rules and regulations and that they cannot continue trying to circumvent basic laws.
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Roadside barriers
A few weeks ago, the evening news reported a truck losing control along Marcos Highway and slamming into houses along the roadside. The site of the crash was along the Quezon City-bound stretch of the road between the Marcos Highway Bridge and Bonifacio Avenue in Barangay Barangka, Marikina City. I took a couple of photos of the area when we passed by last weekend from a trip to Antipolo. The first photo shows where the truck went off the road, smashing through the barrier and hitting some houses just beside and below the road. Marcos Highway at this section is elevated because the adjacent land on the north side of the highway is a flood plain. The second photo shows a typical road side section just after the crash site, illustrating the type of barrier used that is supposed to protect residents from wayward vehicles. Clearly, the barriers were not sufficient for the purpose, which brings us to the question of what is appropriate in such cases. Fortunately, no one was killed in the crash.
Site where the truck rammed into a barrier and fell off the road into houses in Bgy. Barangka, Marikina City
Semi-rigid barrier along the Marcos Highway – on the right are houses in Bgy. Barangka, Marikina City
Traffic barriers are used to minimize the severity of potential road crashes that may occur when vehicles leave the traveled way. There are three types of longitudinal barriers: flexible, semi-rigid, and rigid. Flexible barriers are usually of the cable type and depend on their tensile strength to hold off vehicles or pedestrians. Semi-rigid barriers are usually rail and post systems such as the one shown in the previous photos. These combine tensile and flexural strength of the rail and posts to stop vehicles from getting off the road. Rigid barriers are made out of reinforced concrete and are not supposed to deflect on impact. Energy is dissipated by raising the vehicle plus the deformation of the vehicle itself. These are what are usually provided for bridges and overpasses to keep vehicles from going over in cases where there are road crashes or control of the vehicle is lost.
Based on the adjacent land use and the traffic characteristics along Marco Highway along with the incidence of crashes along this section, rigid barriers satisfying Test Level 4 at the very least should be constructed along the roadside. These should be designed to provide adequate protection for people residing along the road given also that vehicle speeds would naturally be reduced by the upward slope of this section. On the side of safety, perhaps Test Level 5 barriers could be provided considering observations of vehicles speeding along this section.
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Padre Burgos, Manila
Padre Burgos Street stretches from Roxas Boulevard to Plaza Lawton and the Manila Central Post Office. Along its western side is the golf course surrounding the walled city of Intramuros. It is one of the more picturesque streets in Manila considering travelers would have a view of the walls of Intramuros on one side and historic buildings and a park on the other. Following are a few photos I took on my way back from a meeting at the DPWH Head Office along Bonifacio Drive.
The northbound side of P. Burgos St. has 4 lanes and intersections are signalized. The street has a median island (on the left) dividing opposing traffic flows. The traffic lights shown are for the intersection with the Finance Road, which leads to the Ayala Boulevard.
On the right, travelers will see the National Museum building, which used to host the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines.
Past the museum, one is treated first to a glimpse of the historic Manila City Hall
The Manila City Hall’s clock tower is one of the most familiar landmarks in Manila, seemingly unchanged through so many years.
Right after city hall is the Kartilya ng Katipunan shrine
P. Burgos Street splits up into three sections, all named the same: the left leads to the Jones Bridge and Quintin Paredes Street, the center leads to McArthur Bridge and Rizal Avenue, and the right leads to Quezon Bridge and Quezon Boulevard. At center in the photo is the Manila Central Post Office building in front of which is Plaza Lawton, named after the highest ranking American officer killed in action during the Philippine American War.
Visual intrusion? Obstruction? The video screen installed where P. Burgos splits up to McArthur Bridge and Quezon Bridge obscures what many would consider as a nice view of the Manila Central Post Office. At the right of the photo is another historic building that has been neglected – the Metropolitan Theater.
Park and ride facility along P. Burgos St. Behind the structure is the Central Station of LRT Line 1.
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Another what if: Rapid Transit Railway for Metro Manila
I posted a map on my FaceBook page showing the lines of a railway network for Metro Manila proposed about 40 years ago. The map, which I reproduce below, was produced from the original featured in the Final Report of the Urban Transport Study in Manila Metropolitan Area (UTSMMA) that was completed in September 1973. To enhance the image, I traced the lines and provided some color. I also indicated the intersections among the lines that are potentially common stations for the network. The study was funded by what was then the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency of Japan, the predecessor of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The study recommended for a Rapid Transit Railway (RTR) system for Manila.
The main routes of a mass transit system was recommended by UTSMMA to be restricted to railways in the form of subways in the inner area bound by what was then called Highway 54 (C-4 or EDSA) and elevated trains outside in the suburban areas. The study recognized the important roles of buses and jeepneys while recommending that these serve feeder routes once the railways were completed. Following are descriptions of the Lines including their lengths:
- Line 1 (27.1 km) – from Construction Hill to Talon via central Quezon Boulevard, Manila downtown and the International Airport
- Line 2 (36.0 km) – from Novaliches to Cainta via Manila downtown and Pasig
- Line 3 (24.3 km) – Along Highway 54 (C-4): half a circle route about 12 km from Manila downtown
- Line 4 (30.1 km) – From Marikina to Zapote via Cubao, Manila downtown and the Manila Bay area
- Line 5 (17.6 km) – From Meycauayan to Manila downtown running between Line No. 2 and PNR
- PNR improvement (56.4 km) – From Bocaue to Muntinglupa via Tutuban Station
Curiously, a Feasibility Study for Line 1 was completed in June 1976 but unfortunately (or tragically) plans for the implementation of the network were apparently scuttled after a subsequent study that included a land use component. This was the Metro Manila Transport, Land Use and Development Study (MMETROPLAN) that was completed in February 1977, which came up with the following assessment:
“Heavy Rapid Transit (HRT) would provide public transport passengers with much faster journey, but by 1990 would attract only 2.5% of motorists and would have negligible impact on traffic congestion. Partly because of this and partly because of its very high capital cost, it would be hopelessly uneconomic: the annualized capital costs would be higher than the estimated benefits in 1990…passenger flows are not high enough to exploit its full capacity…and the large savings in time for public transport passengers are not given a high value in Manila, and are not high enough to persuade motorists to change mode.
These results are conclusive , and are unlikely to be changed by any circumstances or reasonable assumptions…it is clear that any other fully segregated public transport system, whether light rail or busway, would also be uneconomic. As such systems would require the appropriation of most, if not all, of the available funds for all transport (including highways) in Metro Manila for the foreseeable future, and as there is not other rationale for their implementation, they have been rejected from further consideration.” (MMETROPLAN, Final Report, 1977)
Looking back and then making a rapid assessment of what is now Mega Manila, we now know that this conclusion in 1977 was so off the mark. Further, the assumptions then that included restricted development in areas such as the Marikina Valley were not realized; resulting in a sprawl and population distribution that pretty much requires the RTR system recommended in 1973. We also now know that such a system could have been a game changer in terms of how we commute and how lands were developed along those transit corridors. I would even be brave enough to state that a subway system could have forced us to invest in a comprehensive drainage system to prevent flooding that could also have had tremendous benefits now in these times of Ondoy and Habagat with heavy rains often wreaking havoc on Metro Manila.
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More quick wins for cycling
Metro Manila is basically not a cycling-friendly metropolis. Road space is practically devoted to motor vehicles and sidewalks are not wide enough to accommodate a lane for cycling or space that can be shared by pedestrians and cyclists. The latter observation on space is actually arguable considering that in Japan, narrow sidewalks and carriageways are usable for cyclists and people are generally respectful of others’ right-of-way and perhaps right to travel. As such, conflicts are minimized among pedestrian, cyclists and motorists.Such situations can also be achieved in Metro Manila and other Philippine cities as well. Key is to have a consciousness among people of everyone’s right to space. Also, there is a need to actively, persistently promote a safe interaction among road users such as what has been done by cycling advocates like the Firefly Brigade and what the MMDA is now doing with their initiatives promoting NMT.
Searching for some quick wins aside from the example of Marikina (where there are formal bikeways already in place), I’m featuring a few photos taken around Metro Manila that can be regarded as examples where there have been initiatives toward quick wins in promoting cycling. These include a couple of photos in the Malate, Manila area and couple along Marcos Highway in Pasig City.
Bikeways in Malate
The Malate Church
Segregated bicycle lane along Marcos Highway
Cyclists along Katipunan Avenue (C-5)
Segregated bikeway and overpass ramp along Marcos Highway
Except for the case of Katipunan, all the photos show space designated for cyclists. But Katipunan should be seen as a corridor that has a high potential for walking and cycling given the nature of the land use between Ateneo and UP Diliman. There are opportunities here to promote suitable non-motorized modes of transport while also working for a reduction in car use associated with the schools in the area. While there are still issues of encroachments (e.g., vehicles parked on the sidewalk, and depriving pedestrians and cyclists of their space) in the case of Marcos Highway, these are enforcement issues that LGUs like Antipolo City should address. I cite Antipolo because Marikina and Pasig are generally for cycling and have often reminded establishments to clear the space for pedestrians and cyclists.
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Housing and transport in Singapore
I had wanted to write about the relationship between housing and transport. This relationship falls under land use and transport interaction or LUTI, as it is often called. But while I continue to procrastinate on writing an article on this topic, I refer my readers to another article that appeared in a regional daily. The article from The Freeman written by a good friend who is now the Manager of the Mactan Cebu International Airport and was the City Planning and Development Officer of Cebu City relates about public housing in Singapore and gives a commentary on their strategic locations in relation to Singapore’s efficient transport system. The article is part of a series that the author is writing about his observations in Singapore, and provides a peek into housing and transport in a developed city state. I believe such is an example of a best practice in public housing that the Philippines should learn from in order to solve its own housing problems.
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Addendum: Here are the first and third parts of the series of articles by Nigel Paul Villarete for The Freeman. There are also archives of his articles under his column Streetlife. Good reads that our officials at the national and local levels should indulge in to have a grasp of solutions and best practices concerning transport and traffic.
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PNR: Naga to Manila
My father-in-law was reviewing photos he had taken the past few years and found a few he had taken at the PNR Station in Naga City prior to his return to Manila more than a year ago. The PNR is still currently enjoying a period of revival that started a few years ago with the acquisition of some old but well-maintained trains from Japan. This was followed by rolling stock from Korea that are now being used for the commuter line.
The following photos were taken at the Naga Station of the PNR prior to my father-in-law’s trip back to Manila.
Tarpaulin showing train fares for air-conditioned and economy classes
PNR Naga City Station
Platform for the currently single track system
Commuter line train at the yard – similar trains serving the long-distance trips are used for the PNR’s commuter line connecting Manila with southern Metro Manila and Laguna but with a different seating layout.
The platform from the perspective of a waiting passenger seated on the benches.
Old car that obviously has seen better days steadily deteriorating in Naga.
Manila-bound train at the platform.
Seats inside the train reminded me of the JR Tokaido Line trains I used to ride between Yokohama and Tokyo. These are more suitable for longer commutes (1 – 2 hours) where passengers would be more comfortable if seated compared to the benches of typical urban commuter trains.
The cars do not offer the same comfort as the sleeper cars I featured in a previous post. Nevertheless, it offers some creature comforts such as toilets and air-conditioning. There are also still few passengers at the time so one can have an entire seat for himself/herself.
Each car of the train is connected to another and one can easily transfer between cars even during the trip. The trains are not high speed but travel times are respectable and competitive with road transport.
The PNR suffered some glitches last year including several incidence of crashes with road vehicles. However, ridership is slowly but surely increasing. More resources are needed to improve infrastructure including the acquisition of newer rolling stock and perhaps the electrification of the entire system. The PNR should also attract tourists as the Bicol Region has been quite aggressive in promoting destinations such as the CamSur wakeboarding facilities and natural attractions such as the Mayon Volcano and the beaches in the region. Caramoan, for example, has become a popular destination after the area was featured in the Survivor reality TV shows. Hopefully, ridership will increase to a point where the currently single track system in Bicol would have to be upgraded to a double track system to increase capacity for what was called the PNR Main Line South. The PNR needs a lot of support for it to recover fully from the decline it experienced in the last few decades and it can only be competitive if the entire system, including its stations and fare collection, is modernized and integrated with the urban transit lines of Metro Manila. Hopefully, such support is given by government and perhaps the private sector through a PPP arrangement.
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Reviving the Pasig River Ferry, again
The Pasig River Ferry is in the news again as a major corporation considers reviving the ferry. I’m just not so sure about their motivation for this as what I’ve read on news media seems to say that their plan for reviving the ferry service is linked with their real estate projects, especially one in Manila that’s shaping into Circuit Manila, on land that used to be the Sta. Ana race track. The nearest ferry terminal or station would be the Valenzuela ferry terminal, which is accessible via S. Osmena St. The same street connects to Makati City Hall. Public transport should be service oriented, which the main reason why many public transport systems, particularly rail transit, losing financial ventures and have to be subsidized by governments around the world. But note that I mentioned “financial” in the previous statement because there are definite and established benefits from economic perspective. I’m giving the benefit of the doubt, however, in so far as the track record of the company gives us hope that their entry would be good from the management and marketing perspective of the ferry system. A successful venture here would prove the viability of a water-based system that has so much potential considering it could connect Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong and Pasig directly with other towns of the provinces of Rizal and Laguna around the Laguna De Bay.
There are many informal settlers along the stretch of the Muelle del Rio (now also known as Riverside Drive) from MacArthur Bridge to Plaza Mexico in Intramuros. Several families can be seen living under the bridges or with their carts along the linear park.
The Plaza Mexico Station of the Pasig River Ferry
Reviving the Pasig River Ferry would take a lot of effort and that effort does not yet include the marketing required to attract passengers for the ferry. Of course, one way to promote the use of the ferry is if people can be convinced that using it could cut down their travel times between origins and destinations. While the ferry may provide a more direct route along the river, connectivity with other modes of transport (e.g., road public transport) and pedestrian facilities should increase ridership. Needless to say, affordability (i.e., fare rates) and safety/security are essential components for an attractive mode for commuting. The tourism aspect would just be a bonus in terms of users.
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“Make it easy!” – Encouraging cycling in the Philippines
The stretch between Magallanes and Ayala Ave. along EDSA is not exactly the most ideal of sections for a bicycle sharing program. However, its success would be symbolic of a small and quick win for cycling in a metropolitan area that’s been perceived to be unfriendly to walking and cycling. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) could have chosen other sections like a longer one along Commonwealth Avenue or perhaps a section of Circumferential Road 5 (C-5)/Katipunan Avenue like the stretch from Aurora Boulevard to C.P. Garcia Ave. that connects three major academic institutions: Ateneo De Manila University, Miriam College and the University of the Philippines Diliman. Marcos Highway, which stretches from Masinag Junction in Antipolo City to Santolan in Pasig/Marikina, was rehabilitated and now has exclusive bicycle lanes along either side of the highway. And, of course, there is the bicycle network in Marikina City, which is the first city in the country to have bikeways.
A friend posted an article about “The Best Bike-Sharing Program in the United States.” It is a good read with lots of lessons for cities formulating their own bicycle-sharing programs. Such programs are made in part to encourage a shift from motorized transport to non-motorized modes like cycling and walking. With motorcycles becoming more popular in the Philippines, there should be strong efforts to promote bicycle use especially for short trips.
Cyclists pedaling along UP Diliman’s Academic Oval where one lane has been designated for NMT.
Another perspective on promoting/encouraging cycling comes from Europe. I read an article that caught my fancy sometime last year and searched for it on the internet. The article appeared on the online version of the New York Times stating as its title: “To encourage biking, cities lose the helmets.” This is an interesting article because, for one, the author relates experiences in Europe that seem to be in contrast with those in the US. Particular mention is given to cyclists being required to wear helmets in US cities while many European cities are lax about this practice that is strongly associated with road safety.
There I said it. Road safety. A primary concern for many if not most road users including those using bicycles is safety. In the cities where cyclists share road space with motor vehicles, crashes involving NMT and motorized vehicles may result in fatalities. Studies in the US have linked fatalities and serious injuries to cyclists not wearing helmets. However, in European cities where there are more cyclists and drivers of motor vehicles are probably more aware and respectful of cyclists, the perception is that laxity in helmet use helps promote cycling.
In the Philippines, where mandatory helmet use for motorcyclists is a continuing enforcement challenge, strictly requiring helmet use for cyclists can also be a challenge and can be a turn-off for many would-be cyclists. Strict helmet-wearing requirements might be equated to cycling being a dangerous activity and therefore discourage a lot of people from using bicycles. Definitely, safety should not be sacrificed and where there are high risks but these sections need to be identified and enforcement along these should be firm. These include routes where bicycles and motor vehicles share the same road space. In routes, however, where there are exclusive space or lanes for cycling, perhaps the rule on helmets may be relaxed. Speed is one consideration here where those using bicycles for trips between their homes and workplaces or schools are not necessarily speedsters compared to those who cycle for recreation or for sport. Utilitarian cycling should be treated differently from recreational or sport cycling, which can be more risky and requires not only helmets but other safety gear as well.
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Technical Papers on Sustainable Urban Transport
This is just a quick post to end this first month of the year. Following is a link to the website of the GIZ-supported Sustainable Urban Transport Project featuring the page with the latest technical papers. These represent some of the latest work on sustainable transport featuring good practices from developing and developed cities that can be used as guides or benchmarks for those dealing with transport issues in their respective cities or towns.
Caught (up) in traffic 