We need kotong cops in Davao City.

We need kotong cops in Davao City. 

Maybe by having some corrupt traffic enforcers surveying the roads looking for an easy way to make a buck is going to straighten out the undisciplined drivers in this City. It’s a little embarrassing to live in a City that boasts of being very clean and disciplined only to have a rude awakening when you drive down the streets and see how blatantly drivers break the rules just to get ahead of the others.

Name some rules they’re breaking?

How about overtaking on long stretches of roads where there is a solid line meaning they can’t overtake as it is dangerous. Plus logic dictates that if you can’t see a few meters ahead of you because there’s a curve on the road, then it is dangerous for you and the oncoming traffic. Take it slow, there’s a speed limit right?

What about overtaking on the wrong side? You’re supposed to overtake on the driver’s side and not from the passenger’s side. Multi-cabs are the ones I see breaking this rule a lot. A few private cars do this too and oftentimes I’m not surprised when I see a traffic related incident resulting from this.

Drivers have no respect for pedestrians using the pedestrian lanes. I would understand if you honked your horn at someone who’s jaywalking but for chrissakes let people cross when they’re using the pedestrian lane. Think of it as rewarding them for using the correct area resulting in lesser people jaywalking and lesser chances for cars to stop because people are crossing every few meters or so on open road.

I’ve seen cars (Public and Private) treat pedestrians like dirt, speeding up instead of stopping to let them pass. And they have the audacity to honk their horns to make people rush.

In fairness, a lot of pedestrians also cross anywhere they like even if there’s a Pedestrian lane just a few meters from where they are. Just walk a bit. It’ll be good for you. Think of it as a form of exercise. Don’t be a jaywalker. How I wish they’d bring back penalties for jaywalkers. Do a couple of pushups and sing the national anthem or stay for 2 hours inside the police vehicle. That should teach some people to obey the rules.

Here’s another basic traffic rule drivers break here. Running a Red Light. When the light turns Yellow, it doesn’t mean speed up, it means be prepared to stop. Running a red light because you’re in a hurry increases your chances of not being able to get where you’re headed because you got into a traffic incident. And there’s no way in hell you can get out of a ticket and paying some hefty fines if you do get into a vehicular accident just because you ran a red light. Just stop. It’s not worth it running a red light if you’re just going to get in an accident.

I commend the Traffic Enforcers in the city to be the friendliest I’ve ever met. I always try to make it a point to roll my windows down and greet them if I happen to stop near them or if the pace of the traffic slow. They’re doing their jobs well, you might as well make them feel even better doing it right? A simple “Good Morning Sir” or “Thank You Sir” should give them that little boost and motivation knowing that people respect their position and appreciate their vigilance.

I would never do that in Manila or any other place for fear of being misunderstood and getting pulled over.

One of the reasons why there’s a semblance of discipline on Manila’s roads is the fear of getting caught by cops and having to bribe them to get out of a traffic violation ticket.

Now I know that the current situation in the Philippines is one where the PNP and other government agencies are actively doing a cleanup of their ranks which is something I totally support. But, I think something has to be done to the traffic situation here in Davao City. Educating Drivers and Pedestrians will go a long way to keep everyone safe. I understand that the Speed limit (as ridiculous as it is) has managed to decrease the amount of traffic related accidents but there should be proper calibration of where certain speed limits have to be set to allow for faster decongestion of traffic in the City.

My father also suggested that Davao should open up more bridges to increase the access points in the city. This lessens places where bottle necks occur.

Another solution could be to impose one way streets so traffic flows in one direction only.

And last but not the least: It starts with each individual driver. It starts with you. Change your attitude on the road. Everyone has equal rights to road use. Think of it as a privilege to be able to use and share the roads with others. Don’t think of yourself as the “Hari ng Kalsada” (King of the road).

Plan your trips better and allow for time allowance so you don’t have to speed up unnecessarily or weave in and out of traffic just to get to your destination on time. Driving in a leisurely manner from Point A to Point B is going to decrease your stress levels a lot. I promise you that.

The President comes from this beautiful city and the main call to action during his campaign was “Change is Coming”. He asks each and every individual Filipino to become better. SO, let’s help him out some more and change for the better as drivers or pedestrians but most importantly as citizens of this Republic.

What about Multi-Cabs who’re trying their best to make as much money every day by getting as many passengers per trip? This is exactly the reason why there are so many traffic related incidents involving multi-cabs in the city. Because they are rushing to and fro and making several stops in the middle of the road to pick up a passenger or let one off, Multi-cabs can be considered the main source of the traffic problem in Davao City.

I don’t really have a good solution nor am I in power to effect any change but here’s my idea and it’s not very original. I can’t remember my sources so it could either be some local politicians I’ve heard on the news or it could be the Bus system in the US. Either way, it’s a pretty good idea.

Get the city to employ drivers and provide them with a salary. Because there is a fixed salary, there is no more need to rush from point A to point B and picking up as many passengers along the way to increase the earnings. Create designated areas for these PUVs to stop at and pick up passengers and impose a schedule. There are already some loading bays around the city but it seems like it’s not being used by these Public Utility vehicles. Instead, these loading bays have even been used at times as parking spaces for Private Vehicles and even some Vehicles with Red Plates.

I’m ranting on and on about traffic and I might need another blog post for that. Oh there’s more. I’ve taken a few pics of Davao City Drivers who don’t know how to park properly and I’m planning on releasing that soon.

PS

Before you think I haven’t broken a rule or two in Davao City: 

This one I’m guilty of: Speeding. 

I’ve been caught twice and each time I went to the LTO to retrieve my Driver’s License. My speed: 37KPH in a 30KPH area. My bad. Sorry. I’ve learned to drive slower now. Much, much slower than the people around me like but then again, they’re not the ones paying the penalties so I don’t really care.