Rethink EDSA bus stops

Bayani is the MMDA administrator, he administrates the Metro-Manila developments; he does not govern the people of Metro-Manila.

Many of Bayani’s work overlap with that of the Department of Public Works. The MMDA evolved from a creation of Imelda who carved out her private government when she was Metro-Manila Governor; just like the legislative “sectoral” representatives (now evolved and termed as party-list) is a leftover creation of Marcos who wanted to control the parliament by appointing those sham sectoral representatives. These remnants of the Marcos regime should be abolished because they were setups for the dictator’s private agenda. The MMDA should be reverted to a purely development planning agency working in coordination with city governments and the Department of Public Works. At present, these three bodies perform in a completely disjointed manner which does not contribute much to the public’s interests.

Bayani promised us that Manila will be flood-free but just a few minutes of torrential rains sends the entire metropolis into a giant traffic gridlock. The esteros are still clogged with all kind of refuse and wastes; and shanties still lined those narrow waterways contributing daily to its congested waste deposits. The underground sewers are undersized and clogged. The pumping stations are non-functional because the intakes are also clogged.

Bayani also initiated the shutting down of main intersections and substituting them with so called U-turn slots that are hazardous to fast traffic. The scheme not only slows down the traffic movement but at times causes jams at the U-turn slot itself. Here we are living in an age when speed and time is of essential importance; and come this man trying to slow everything down so that there will fewer accidents and the traffic moves at safe snail pace. If that is what Bayani wants, why not ban motor vehicles and allow only animal-drawn vehicles as the official mode of road transport for the Metro-Manila.

We wonder what kind of people work under Bayani, because noticeably they do not even know how to subdivide the vehicular lanes equally, which is easily done with a common twine or cord slightly longer than the widest portion of the road. The vehicular lanes should be of standard width for the motorists to drive comfortably within the proper speed limits

Another thing we noticed, Bayani no longer believes in public education, discipline and modern traffic control systems. He thinks that the public can not be educated (not even by the posters with his pictures) and that they should be fenced, corralled and driven along grilled pathways like sheep and cattle. If that is his present frame of mind, the President should confine his duties to just simple, menial work such as painting flyovers, LRTs, street curbs and roadside shanties; changing broken and stolen street bulbs; setting up make-shift urinals for the males, etc., etc.

One more disturbing fact is his penchant bordering on an obsession for insisting a particular color like pink reveals his unusual inner character and it is risky if the public should put such an individual in the Presidency. The moment he unbridles his authority we do not know how he will conduct himself. Perhaps, the entire nation has to turn pink --- not meaning leftist, of course.

You may accuse me of having the following sentiment because I now drive a car.

But before I had a car, I used to ride buses and jeepneys and tricycle and pedicabs...and, being a commuter, I complained about too many bus stops along EDSA. It gave me a feeling that buses stop at any possible excuse, thereby prolonging the agony of the stop-and-go situation along EDSA that time.

Are we complaining this time that the bus stops are too far apart?

Are we complaining too about the bridge ways along EDSA that, to my eyes, are a welcome development for which Bayani Fernando should be lauded?

Can't we all stop complaining, just for once, and start appreciating?

Sorry for my disgust.

Maybe we ought to rethink Bayani Fernando instead.

I worked in Japan for a while. Everyone walks a lot from home to the train station then from the station to the office or school. We reverse the procedure after office.

This guy has been self-centered, egotist, and self-opinionated. He just take on stride, the death of more than 300 road accident because of his plans like making U-tern slots, and the putting in place barriers. I do not mind this weird constructions, however, one of the biggest element that cause these road accidents is the near non-existence, early warning device that would have forewarned motorist that in just few seconds, he will face a mormidable concrete barrier that would do damage to his car and ends up his life.

A person like him who just take the other motorist life who met these accident considered murderer in the first degree. I believe that Bayani Fernando has gone at least to the United States, or farther, in Europe, and he will see how elaborate this early warning reflectorized road signs are planned and executed.

Here, he even blame the drivers. How can he do this when almost every nights, accident after accident is happening because the victim is unaware of the obstacle that should have never existed on a normal road.

I just hope this megalomaniac would push through with his plan to run for president. Just like Singson, his impending defeat as the most unpopular presidential candidate would wake him up to reality.

My message to you Bayani Fernando is wake up to reality. If you think you can win the Presidency, think twice. The victims of force evictions among marginalized sector of society will haunt you in 2010.

Try looking at the terminal in guadalupe. Its awful. I was alighting a bus with a family with 4 small kids and they dont know where to go and the buses are hounding on the cramped bus terminals. Crossing the street is a nightmare. Plus the narrow sidewalks are still full of vendors!

sa matitigas ang ulo at creative na pinoy napakagaling magkaroon ng isang LIDER na hindi mo kayang baluktutin kapag siya ay tama. sa isang LIDER napakasama kun siya ay mali at hindi magpapatuwid kanino man. a leader should not only have a firm resolve but also a balance mind. hindi pwede mentally imbalance o WALA SA KAAYUSAN ANG ISIP o makitid ang utak. nakita ko yun MMDA truck outside of metro manila nag kakabit ng tarpaulin too bad wala ako camera, kun sino man me pic or video ng illegal na gawain ito submit nyo sa media, garapal eh

Yung mga bagong bus stops sa EDSA ay para lang po sa mga provincial buses na lalalabas at papasok sa Metro Manila via Edsa, at saka 30 seconds lang time limit para magbaba at magsakay. hindi naman siguro ganun kadami ang mga provincial buses na maging dahilan sa sobrang traffic. kaya nga ginawa yan para mahiwalay sila sa metro buses terminals.

stops po hindi terminals...sensya na po

1. Remove bus lanes from the middle of EDSA but instead carve it out from the sidewalk.

2. Old vehicle phase out plan to be tied up with removing/lowering of vehicle acquisition tax, to encourage the phase out of the old and replacement by the new.

3. Impose heavy tax on vehicular spare parts cannibalism to phase out old vehicles.

Of course these things wont work. We dont have a leader with enough metal to be clean and honest.

Cant we pass a law to ground permanently drivers and vehicles that met an accident at EDSA resulting to great damage on properties and homicide.

One of the main causes of traffic jams in Metro Manila are the buses and jeeps that literally stop anywhere they want... even in the middle of the street. To private car drivers, this is a pain as they have to unnecessarily stop just to wait for the PUV to unnecessarily alight passengers. To commuters, this is a pain as well, as their supposedly 15-min ride becomes a 45-min agony on EDSA.

Surely, bus stops are a welcome development! I can't seem to understand why people are complaining about walking some distance because they now have to alight only at designated stops. Bus Stops is a standard practice that has been proven to be efficient in all civilized cities all over the world. I don't understand why people are complaining that finally.... we will have something as simple bus stops in our country!!! Finally our roads, or at least EDSA, will be civilized!

I salute Bayani for having the balls to implement efficient projects even if they are unpopular to a people.

The projects of BF are patterned from first world countries but not everything that works there will certainly work on us. MMDA could have made a further study to see if those are feasible.

In EDSA for example, the bus stops are causing a slow down and build up of traffic. I believe they should be torn down or trimmed down to the size that fits our roads.

hurray for the Celebrity Duets champ. he has time to rehearse for his performance on tv and try to appear charming. he has time to pose for his posters that promote nothing but himself. but he has no idea what it means to commute at rush hour and late at night. hurray for the man who thinks he can win people by strutting on tv and believe he's worthy to be a presidential candidate. hurray indeed.

I may not totally agree with everything that BF has done but I guess questions that need to be asked to and answered by those who think that BF is not doing a good job are:

If you were in his shoes and given the task of cleaning up the traffic in EDSA and given the state that it is in right now (infrastructure, volume of vehicles, pedestrians, presence of Malls, etc) , what will you do? I agree that you ought to hear out your subordinates and your people. I also agree that the plight of the commuters also need to be considered and not just the motorists. However, after all has been heard and considered, what concrete things will you do to solve EDSA?

Dear Wonderwoman, indeed you are right in some aspects. But the bottom line is, it's the drivers driving the vehicles, not Mr B Fernando. He implements rules, regulations, but that's about all he could do under the circumstances if these drivers behave the way they do. Just look at YouTube where middleclass Pinoys abuse the new freeway towards Tarlac, Pampanga corridor. How do they drive? I drive in Europe and of course there are also many "maniacs" like those back in the Philippines. Still, to blame the MMDA and its boss would be like blaming the sun for burning your skin. No, dear, the buck stops with the drivers. They are not fully aware of observing courtesty, or rules, or how to switch lanes, and above all, there are many accidents because many of them do not use the basic thing provided to them: MIRROR. Are they afraid to look in the mirror BEFORE switching lanes? That is the clue to good or bad driving. Before we pin the blame on the MMDA or Mr Fernando, let's try to ask why these drivers are not taught properly...before they are allowed on the roads. In Europe, we have to pass written and practical tests before we are allowed on the roads. Not over there.

Traffic Solutions
Everybody recognizes how bad the traffic situation is and definitely there are workable solutions. The problem is not in choosing the appropriate solutions but in getting the whole nation to cooperate. Our illustruous lawmakers, executives both govt and private are well travelled and they have witnessed how other countries who had far more vehicle densities than ours managed their traffic flow. Lawmakers can make millions of laws and ordinaces but they will be useless before people who will always prefer to ignore, debate or resist than to accept and obey.
I remember my neighbor who was able to acquire and to drive his first car. I asked him about his fresh experiences with his new mode mobility. He said that for the first time he realized how bad a pedestrian he has always been. He used to get on and off buses and jeepneys at any place he wanted to. He refused to walk even a few steps to any designated bus/jeepney stop. He got mad at the driver who would not allow him to get off at improper and dangerous places when he commanded STOP. He now realizes how a million pedestrian like him can throw the whole transport system in chaos. The system may be able to control the jeepney operators and bus companies by good implementation, but to address laziness and ignorance of the millions of pedestrians will hold the key to efficienct traffic management. Begin with the schools now and sign of harvest will be in the next generation. Problem is too big for one generation to solve.

Like DOM, I stayed in Japan long enough. Everyone walked long distances everyday. The nearest bus stop from our school is around 15 minutes walk. The bus passes by infront of the school yet no one asks the bus driver to stop at the school's gate even when no policeman is looking. People cross the streets only on pedestrian lanes and only when sign says WALK. Even when no one is watching. To them self discipline is utmost.

Kahit ano pa ang gawin ni Bayani sa Edsa or metro manila, hindi masosolve ang problema ng traffic sa kamaynilaan.
There are too many vehicles but few roads. Imagine Edsa lang ang main thoroughfare at papunta naman sa kamaynilaan ay Quezon Blvd lang at RizaL ave.
Ang problema ay ang ating flyover ay doon din ang bagsak sa traffic, tumaas lang ng konti.
Yon mga nasa pasay papuntang bulakan ay dadaan pa ng kamaynilaan so dagdag traffic.
Too many vehicles but few roads and freeways.
Why not build an elevated freeway all over Luzon but there are exits and ramps on every place in Manila.
In this way, commuters from pasay to caloocan will not have to traverse within manila but on elevated freeway decreasing vehicle in manila.
Just like bus plying from pampanga to batangas, they don't have to drive inside metro manila but in elevated freeway.
In america, they have these freeways, elevated freeways but have lot of exits and ramps to get out of freeways. Drivers don't have to drive sidestreets but on freeway.
That is what we need in Manila, Luzon an elevated freeways.
Bayani might be doing a good job cleaning streets of sidewals or vendors but bad for people affected by his clean-up.
Freeway is the answer.

Bayani Fernando may be trying too hard to have discipline and order in the streets of Manila but he is commendable for giving it HIS BEST TRY!

He is the REAL ACTION MAN and I challenge his critics to counter or concoct a negative story.

Before, who runs MMDA? Jojo Binay, Ben Abalos but did they made any difference? Baka yung buhay nina Binay at Abalos ang nagbago, LALONG YUMAMAN NG WALANG GINAGAWA SA PUWESTO!

Perhaps what BF should do is to listen and try to assess some public suggestions but on the totality, he's doing just fine.

BF in 2010.

I dont like what Fernando is doing with Metro Manila roads. Napaka anti poor. Sana yung mga overpass hindi madulas. Siya kaya ang dumaan dun everyday, i doubt kung di sya madulas,