The bus lane in EDSA was actually a good idea, but the execution needs to be improved. So, how do we fix Metro Manila traffic? A few things – one is to put increased public transport capacity and invest more in public transportation systems. While transportation options like Grab and taxis exist if you add up the cost of taking them every day, you can pretty much buy a halfway decent car which has led us to our current problem. The main problem is the fact that the middle class, the ones who can afford these cars to drive to work every day, do not have a comfortable and convenient way to get around the city. This is what’s waiting for you back in the office And this isn’t conjecture – the phenomenon is called induced demand, and numerous studies have already shown that simply adding more roads won’t actually fix the main problem. It’s been proven time and time again that if you build more roads, people will just drive more to fill those roads, and voila, you’re back to square one: stuck in traffic again, but instead of sitting on a nice 2 lane highway, you’re now stuck in a 4-lane one. Well, if there are more cars on the road, the solution is to build more roads! Well, no. That’s led to more cars being on the road and since many families don’t have garages built into their homes in the metro, that means more cars obstructing side streets and other alternate paths, leading to more traffic. Just like in Mexico and in other countries where similar schemes have been put in, families and households typically just buy a second car to circumvent the ban. In case I haven’t made it clear: vehicle reduction by coding hasn’t really been effective in our country. And just like the previous coding scheme, it won’t do anything of the sort – it’ll just create even more problems as people try to buy a third, probably crappier car to try and circumvent that, just like what most people did when they bought their second, probably less crappy car to try and circumvent the initial coding restrictions when it was first proposed.

And just like clockwork, the powers that be (in this case the MMDA) are proposing a new coding scheme to try and stem the inevitable tide of cars barreling down EDSA and every major artery in Metro Manila.

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