MetroManila seems doubly abuzz in the month of June- schoolchildren set for school, maintenance and repair of water drainage at a hectic pace ( why do they time this work just as school was opening? always.) to ward off the floods expected during the rainy season. Oh yes, it is now officially rainy season in the country, hopefully a welcome respite from the blistering summer season we just had. We pray for less devastating typhoons but more of the cool breeze and welcome shade to relax workers going through their work shifts.
Dami na naman commuters of course- inis din because fares have just been hiked, the minimum 8pesos fare coming up to 8.50. To the labourer and the pasundut- sundot ang trabaho, malaki yan even if some would shrug off the singkwenta sentimos increase.
As if the heavier street traffic is not enough, jeepney and bus drivers are now up in arms against the
stiffer fines being imposed by the government’s land transportation office against ‘colorums’, the name attached to public utility vehicles plying the highways but are unregistered and therefore illegal. Threats of transport strikes to paralyse the Metro in future may be a possibility unless both sides in this ‘colorum’ business come to an agreement.
Transport groups insist that it is not the financial sanctions that will transform the public utility vehicles sector into a law abiding group. The group Angat Tsuper/ Stop and Go lodged a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court seeking to stop government from implementing its new measures against the ‘colorums’. It also seeks to nullify for being unconstitutional Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 ( Revised Schedule of Fines and Penalties for Violations of Las Rules and Regulations Governing Land Transportation). The group objects to the 1,000 percent increase from the previous amount of fines against erring drivers or operators of PUVs. It said it will disadvantage further the lowly PUV driver who has to work many hours to feed his family. Angat believes that a strict and sincere enforcement of the old/ existing regulations would be much prefererred and is expected to weed out problems in this area.
Earlier, the MetroManila Development Authority has endorsed the stricter measures imposed jointly by the Land Transportation Authority and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. MMDA said that it was high time government took a firm stance against unfranchised puv’s. Aside from high fines, the new regulations include impounding of vehicles, revocation of franchise and blacklisting.
How everyone wishes to pass through worry-free MetroManila highways and streets. How we hope we do not accumulate stress that might cause our hearts to fail eventually by the daily experience of traffic, erring drivers, and ignorance or refusal to heed traffic rules for a more worry- free driving or commuting in the city.
This writer agrees that rules and fines need to be updated (aba, they are using an order signed in the year 1964 pa!) but this writer likewise agrees with Angat that oo nga, our law enforcers need to implement rules fairly and sincerely. When will ‘kotong’ and ‘lagay’ be regarded as obsolete in our colloquial dictionary?
We hope now na talaga.
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BIRTHDAYS My grandson Dwayne Lawrence celebrates his first birthday in June 17, my elder sister Teresita, formerly of Houston, Texas but now has resettled in Manila on June 16th, my eldest grandson Jonas on June 26 and some more loved ones who saw the light of day in this beautiful month. May your special days be filled with fun and love and may you live long and happy!
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