Remember Isaac Newton's 3rd law of motion: For every
action, there is an equal, opposite reaction. Apply in society: For every
government intervention and prohibition, there is an equal opposite distortion.
This news was reported last August 13, 2016. If government implements this, there will be MORE traffic
congestion, not less, on Edsa and rest of M. Manila. Why?
Because many of those probinsyanos/syanas who ride the
provincial buses are car owners. They leave their cars in Pampanga, Tarlac,
Bulacan, Pangasinan, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, etc. when they go to Manila
because it is more convenient, more time-saving to ride the buses. Now remove
the provincial buses in Edsa, transpo going to Manila will be more inconvenient, take
multiple rides, more time consuming, more costly. Solution: drive their cars or
motorcycles from the province.
About three years ago, MMDA's former Chairman Francis Tolentino banned
buses from Cavite, other parts of Batangas to enter Lawton and Buendia, they
unloaded passengers only in Uniwide warehouse at the coastal road. Huge
headache for many passengers on the first few days, they have to take a
M.Manila bus -- less convenient, less modern, aircon not so cold, etc -- or
jeepney, non-aircon.
I noticed that the week after that, traffic worsened in
Edsa, elsewhere. Precisely because many of those probinsyanos are car owners. With the
inconvenience and higher cost of multiple rides, many of them drove their cars
to Manila.
And after banning provincial buses in Edsa and traffic congestion remains bad if not worsened, what's next? Banning private cars 2x or 3x a week. And many middle class and rich families will buy more cars that they
can use on days where their other car/s are banned.
Many probinsyanos carry heavy loads when they go to Manila. Whenever I visit the farm in Pangasinan, the lightest load I carry back
home is 15 kilos. Rice, buko, bananas, jackfruit, etc. Taking a taxi from Cubao
alone to Makati would cost me nearly P300, which is equivalent to my aircon bus
fare from Pangasinan to Cubao.
So I take the city bus, Cubao to Makati, cheap, only P26,
but travel time is long. Between 1 to 2 hours, depending on time of arrival in
Cubao. So if government will make the provincial buses to stop only at Novaliches
or even Valenzuela, then my taxi fare will be much higher and if I take the Manila
bus, my city travel will become 2 - 3 1/2 hours.
Better drive my car and carry up to 50 kilos, 100 kilos
or more of provincial goods. But then I will be adding to more traffic in Manila. And
then many people will say we should ban more cars. sus ginoo.
A friend Reuel H wrote, "I can attest to that. One of our bosses lives in
Apalit, Pampanga and takes the bus to work. He would leave his car at SM San Fernando and
board the Genesis Liner coming from Bataan to conveniently drop him off at
EDSA-Shaw Crossing. With this ban, he may be forced to bring his car all the way to
Ortigas Center, thus contributing to the already-horrible gridlock in this business
district."
Government should be banned from their frequent ban-prohibit mentality and policy. Very unimaginative and dictatorial.
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See also:
Transport Econ 13: On Prohibiting S. Luzon Provincial Buses to Enter M.Manila, August 30, 2014
Transport Econ 14: On the MRT and LRT Fare Hike, January 06, 2015
Transport Econ 15, On having 2 cars or more, July 20, 2015
Transport Econ 14: On the MRT and LRT Fare Hike, January 06, 2015
Transport Econ 15, On having 2 cars or more, July 20, 2015
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