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THE political campaign is on and traffic jams all around the
metropolis and provinces will surely be a constant fare
on our main roads in the coming days.
Aside from the gun ban and other election-related matters
that are being looked into by the Commission on
Elections, I think it would be to the great interest of
our people if it also came up with comprehensive
guidelines on how to make the roads free of political
gimmickries.
These days, it will be very common to see the construction of
huge podiums or installation of huge trucks right in the
middle of major roads, which will be used as entablados
for the political campaigns of those running for office.
The result will almost surely be traffic jams
everywhere.
Motorists suffer a lot during political campaign periods
because roads that they have been using regularly
instantly become clogged with political supporters or
are closed to traffic without prior notice.
If the Comelec is responsible for implementing a gun ban and
other election-related matters, then it should also look
into this, since it is also of national concern.
Last Monday, I was caught in a horrendous traffic jam early
in the morning when a politician (who is said to be
running for congressman) held a rally just near the City
Hall in our place under the guise of a “prayer
rally-cum-schoolchildren motorcade.” No one put up
detour signs or fielded traffic enforcers in the
vicinity of the area where they were holding the rally.
Nobody seemed to care whether they were really affecting
early morning commuters or not.
An official guideline issued by the authorities disqualifying
candidates who cause traffic will surely make
politicians think twice before messing with our roads in
the future.
I DON’T know whose responsibility it is to keep sanity in
that very busy
Panaderos Street
on the boundary of Manila and Mandaluyong.
The place is chaotic from morning to evening and traffic jams
are an everyday fact. And we are referring to that area
starting from the foot of the bridge up to the very busy
market nearby.
Nobody seems to own up to the responsibility of clearing up
the whole place of traffic. Yes, you could see some
traffic policemen in the area but they merely serve as
simple decorations. They are either junior traffic
enforcers or mere “barkers” in the area.
The traffic jam starts in the early dawn when market vendors
unload their products right in the middle of the street,
virtually clogging the whole area. Thanks to the
presence of some barangay and city traffic enforcers,
that area in front of the market somewhat clears up as
the sun starts to shine, paving the way for two-way
traffic.
That area near the foot of the bridge up to the Puregold
Supermarket is virtually a mess as it either becomes a
huge parking lot for jeepneys or loading area for
passengers. This is the norm even at sundown when
traffic enforcers are nowhere to be found.
Which city should be mainly responsible for managing traffic
in the area is not yet clear to many motorists. There
are times when they see some traffic enforcers from
Mandaluyong and there are times that they see some from
Manila.
Which is which? Will somebody tell us? For now, it would be
wise if you can avoid passing through that area.
KAYCEE Crisostomo of Robert Bosch
Philippines sent us an e-mail recently regarding its
Adopt-A-School project that was conceived only last
year.
The said project was dubbed as the Class of 2010, which aims
to provide tuition fees, uniforms, textbooks and basic
school needs for deserving scholars. “Through the
company’s strong partnership with Springboard Foundation
and through the generosity of friends and business
partners, the project was set in motion in school year
2006-2007,” according to Kaycee.
I was surprised that, according to the said e-mail, there are
now 100 Bosch scholars that are currently finishing
their first year of high school in
Sienna College
in Quezon City and Taytay, Rizal.
This is the reason why Bosch is asking for your support “to
once again be part of Class 2010 and your generosity
will entirely go into our scholars’ education fund—one
which will provide them adequate assistance for their
second year of high school.”
Asked why Bosch is actively pursuing its social
responsibility efforts, it revealed that it is in the
spirit and will of its founder—Robert Bosch—that 92
percent of the shares of Robert Bosch GmbH are held by
Robert Bosch Stiflung, a charitable foundation.
DESPITE the vigorous campaign of the authorities and the
various huge signs that are posted in every nook and
cranny of the whole stretch of the north and south
expressways, many drivers are still very ignorant of
some basic regulations.
One flagrant violation is that of driving too slow on the
leftmost lane. I see it regularly and I am really
disgusted with those drivers who seem to have the
license to drive leisurely on the left side of the road.
They think that since it is almost always traffic-free,
they can stay there as long as they want and that it’s
part of the high toll fees that they paid.
Those drivers must be punished the same way the authorities
punish those who use the shoulders of the highways.
Those who use the shoulders probably do it because
they’ve been driven crazy by those drivers, who stay on
the fast lane. That’s the reason why they are always
caught and fined by the authorities who often “hide” in
an “obscure” part of the road.
You cannot reason out to them that you chose the shoulder
because there are many “stupid drivers” who are clogging
the left side of the road. But why penalize only those
who should not be driving on the shoulders when those
that are driving on the fast lane are the more dangerous
ones? |
