Editorial in a Local Daily commented on Davao's new traffic lights and driver discipline.
For those who weren't in Davao during the few days The Traffic Light was turned on, it was chaotic. It seems the contractor: a) did not study Davao's traffic patterns; or b) just did a 'look everyone I'm earning my fat contractor fee' kind of study, or c) looked at the wrong things at the wrong places. Net result was C-H-A-O-S.
The Editorial commented that Davao's drivers must be more disciplined and offered, as evidence, a much less chaotic flow after The Traffic Lights were turned-off (pending 'adjustments').
Wait. This guy either doesn't drive or has a driver. For one thing Davao drivers are definitely NOT as discipline as The Editorial Writer thinks. Or hopes. Jeepney drivers, taxi drivers and tricycle drivers are never disciplined. Period. They only APPEAR to be discipline when those tasked to 'manage traffic' or the LTO mobile team starts pulling over Public Utility Drivers (PUDs) for traffic infractions. Once a back is turned for even a wink of an eye, the PUDs do their worst. Drivers, not owners, of private vehicles are as bad as PUDs when the owner isn't around.
And motorcycles! The dumb fools weave in and out of traffic with their annoying buzzing horns, cutting lanes, running between lanes... it gets so bad that everytiime I see a motorcylce getting hit by a taxi or a jeepney, I AUTOMATICALLY blame the motrocycle. Imagine that! I'm actually defending the damn taxi and jeepney drivers!!!
People. Davao drivers are not disciplined. And I intentionally excluded owners who drive their own vehicles because I (as a owner driving his own vehicle) feel caught in the crossfire between indifferent corrupt government bureucrats and the evil PUDs and motorcycles.
The better traffic flow without The Traffic Lights does not mean drivers are disciplined. it means drivers just reverted to their old habits to get to their destination ASAP.
There's a place for blind optimism but, in my very humble unexpert opinion, this is just a case of being blind.
