Thursday, February 27, 2014

The use of road space is undemocratic

Alabado: Street revolution | Sun.Star: "Local executives and traffic managers have always turned a blind eye on the issue of modern modes and systems of public transportation. They have always been very lenient on the private vehicles but very strict on public transportation. Case in point – look at the on-street parking that our local government allows on many streets. The designated loading and unloading bays of the jeepneys are but a few and limited but on-street parking is allowed the whole day round. A jeepney transports at least 10 people and a car normally transports only two so why should private vehicle be it cars or motorcycles be allowed to occupy one or two lane exclusively thus further restricting the flow of traffic in the downtown area?"

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Share the Road Movement

Share the Road Movement: "“We need to recognize that urban transport is primarily about people, not motor vehicles; therefore, we need an urban transport policy which does not privilege the minority who use motor vehicles, but rather, provides accessibility for all.”
Prof. Madhav Badami"

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Petition filed to give half of PH roads to commuters

Eco-Business : "On the first day of construction of new major road projects in Metro Manila, citizens walked to the Supreme Court protesting traffic, alarming levels of air pollution, and inefficient public transport.

They demanded not for more roads but for roads to be divided in half: one half for motor vehicles and the other half for efficient forms of public transport like covered walkways, bike lanes, bus rapid transit, and trains. (READ: Commuters to gov’t: Limit cars to half of the road)"

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Philippines - 3% of population owning cars get use of 97% of roads

BusinessMirror : "He said people who occupy motorized vehicles are a small minority, yet they should occupy the proportionate space in the road.

“The [country’s] population is about 95 million. How many are car owners, about 3 million? Then they should only occupy 3 percent of the roads, while the 97 percent occupies the 97 percent,” he said.

Oposa said there are laws, which the government should have been implementing, to prevent air pollution and there are measures that could effectively address the problem.

The traffic congestion that causes 80 percent of air pollution in Metro Manila, he said, should be addressed and one way is changing the mind-set of the Filipino people about cars.

Cars, he said, is occupied by only one people while a bus can take in 60 people, occupying almost the same space in the road.

Oposa said instead of cars that run on money and make people fat, people should use bicycles that run on fat and save money for the people.

“In using cars, we literally burn money for the use of gas,” he said.

There are a number of things the government can do under the law, he said."