Filipino Commute Culture is Part of the Problem

Traffic jams are something everyone dreads and have always been a growing problem since the dawn of commercial vehicles. It's not a problem a single solution can address because, in reality, it is a stack of problems involving inefficiency, incohesive infrastructure, and people.

Rather than finding THE solution to solve the traffic problem, we should decouple the stack of problems we have right now to deal with a more manageable set of issues. One problem is with people, specifically in the Filipino culture of public transportation.

Public utility vehicles have developed the idea that they can easily pick up commuters along the road, and commuters have come to expect this as well. Little does everyone know; this is contributing to the prevalence of phantom traffic jams!

The phantom traffic jams are the tendency of traffic to build up due to the sudden deceleration of vehicles. The deceleration of each vehicle compounds to a level where, at one point, one vehicle will come to a complete stop! Then another vehicle stops for a little longer, and another for even longer. This is the phantom traffic jam, where no tangible cause of slow traffic is present except for the gradual slowing down of vehicles.

There are several reasons a vehicle might decelerate: it could be due to pedestrians crossing, intersections, changing lanes, and, of course, stopping in the middle of the road to load and unload passengers. Some of these factors are beyond control, but they can be addressed, particularly the last one.

Our collective tendency to "para" (stop) at our most convenient times can be controlled and managed with discipline and the effective implementation of road rules. Here at Station PTOT, we think that the most effective way to address this is to have a more passenger-friendly infrastructure, such as more visible and accommodating terminal stops that encourage order and system. A systematic approach to systems such as transportation allows for shorter queues, a lower average wait time, and a better experience for everyone.

All in all, traffic is a big problem that doesn't have a singular solution. However, effectively implemented schemes can reduce the problem bit by bit, making it more manageable. One example is reducing the tendency for high-impact phantom traffic jams by encouraging a systematic queue system, accompanied by enticing and optimally located terminal stops that address the deficiencies of the Filipino commuting culture.

The traffic problem should not solely be a government problem-solving matter; rather, it should be a task for everyone to solve by choosing to do the right thing where it matters.

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Filipino Commute Culture is Part of the Problem