A call for an efficient and sustainable mass public transport system
My recent trip to Australia to attend the graduation of my eldest daughter in Adelaide opened my eyes to a different world amazingly far beyond compare to dear home country, the Philippines. It was definitely fun-filled, from the time we arrived in Melbourne, throughout our jam-packed days of city hopping, until we left from the Sydney Airport back to Manila. This was so mainly because of Australia’s highly efficient mass public transport system.
Australia has a built-in public transport system that offers four main options: train, bus, ferry, and tram. With commuters and drivers who are well-disciplined and pedestrians whose safety is prime consideration by motorists, it’s no wonder that people’s mobility, regardless of age and physical condition, is never hampered. Never have I seen a smoke-belching vehicle. Despite the presence of cars, Australia is a smoke-free world with lush greenery all over. That trees are valued in Australia is worthy to mention. And we moved around with ease from one tourist spot to another in a very cool environment.
Traveling by train, bus, or tram in Australia is a way of life and does not make a passenger feel like a lesser being. Young and old, rich and poor, managers, and ordinary workers take mass public transport. Passengers just tap their cards upon entry or take the tram for free within the city, and there are no guards to check bags the way it is disgustingly done here.
Passengers are comfortably seated, and no time is wasted as the next ride is available within minutes. Traffic congestion or bumper-to-bumper traffic was out of sight. Road rage was farfetched. I wonder if the word “late” is in the Australian vocabulary. Time must be highly valued in Australia.
Sadly, we cannot offer tourists to our country, specifically Metro Manila, the same convenience and mobility. And I always thought of my dear Philippines while in Australia.
Our government, past and present, has been rendered incapable of solving the worsening traffic mess in Metro Manila specifically on the long stretch of Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (Edsa).
That the Edsa bus carousel offers a big relief to commuters in Metro Manila is an understatement. This exclusive lane for buses is the only positive sight on Edsa. Any attempt for its phaseout or privatization is a no-no for being anti-poor.
Like in Australia, we should encourage our people to use mass public transportation. But how can that be when going up and down our trains and buses is torture to the riding public?
On behalf of fellow commuters who take the Metro/Light Rail Transit/Edsa bus carousel, may I ask President Marcos: Couldn’t we be given the right attention in Bagong Pilipinas, please?
BELEN DOCENA-ASUELO,
bdasuelo@yahoo.com
