Commuting Metro Manila: Insights and Rants

Tora^2 · Beerkadet

Commuting Metro Manila: Insights and Rants

sublimeabsurdity · Senior

As a student, I lived for about 8 years in the Metro. I have nothing against most modes ofpublic transport except for their choice of FM stations. Although recently there have been the proliferation of CD Rom drives on jeepneys, FX, and even pedicabs. It just depends now on how long your trip is or the choice of music the driver has.

polskie · Carpooler

well, if ths is about commuting..

i lived in 4 different places during (and still) my school days. the first one is bulacan, my home town. where its an hour and a half drive from school with the local jeepney, but thanks to gas prices, tollfees and exploiting of franchise it became 2hrs coz of the drivers attempt to STUFF up the vehicle. the trip includes an LRT ride from monumento to UN ave.( if your a die hard metro commuter, you'll know how bad it is in LRT during monday mornings). im not complaining about this one. the trip is relatively safe.

then i move out in the metro some 4 yrs ago.

i was in Tondo already. public transpo there is really not good.. divisoria swells up every day. worst during holiday, it gets crampier or crampiest if theres a word.
a 30-45minute jeep ride. Sta. ana..another market place, and now sampaloc..the flower market place.
the problem with metro jeeps are they're potentially vulnurable to attacks..i bet some here will react on this but its hard to understand what im saying if you are a "virgin" to street violence, i kinda overreacted in mr B's thread about quiapo. most of my sightings are in those seats of a jeepney. i believe i can say that i already saw it all. (i got scratched by the way, in a jeep in tondo, aw! they got my phone back then).

its not a protest of hate to jeepneys, i love traveling sideways
if only theres a way to protect metro commuters.

psychoCOW · Beerkadet Mascot/Matinee Idol

Basically, our transport system gets the job done. Having said that, there are so many areas for improvement.

General Notes:

We really need to get rid of old, dilapidated buses, taxis, and jeepneys. Aside from the obvious fact that they are eyesores, these vehicles are enviromentally unsound, unreliable, expensive to maintain in the long run, and cause more problems than they solve.
Local govenments should check the number of Jeep and Tricycle permits they give out. Mandaluyong would be a prime example of a place that has too many jeeps and tricycles for its own good.
We should really look into medium-sized vehicles, like coasters or those airconditioned super jeeps, for long trips.

MRT/LRT:

We need more lanes, period.
We need more trains, too.
Somebody should really clean up LRT1 stations. The LRT3 stations should be the benchmark on how a station should look.

Buses:

As mentioned above, they should decomission buses that are too beat up for their own good. If your bus is slanted for the entire trip, that's a good indicator that it's time to let go.
Mannrose, show us the way.

Taxis:

They should find a way to ensure that all areas in Metro Manila have an equal number of Taxis. Most of the Taxis ignore the South (Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas) as well as Pateros and Taguig (The Fort doesn't count), Malabon and Caloocan, among others. It's not fair and it's not right.
And as stated above and before, get rid of taxis that small like cr*p.
No to Kia Pride.

Jeepney:

Seriously, can't you shove an aircon there somewhere?
And Sheet Metal is sooooooo 1950. Would it kill anybody to research on other materials?

polskie · Carpooler

^ natawa ako.=) im not much of a kia pride fan too.
add to the list the following:

on taxi:
-1992 toyota corolla (the one being used in by these companies. DAVIES, ALKOTBY, EE, R&E, STURDY, ROMCAT, WALLIS(<-dreaded taxi)..and others. these companies are already rich according to the drivers i spoke of. iilan lang ang vios nila...and 1300 pa boundry..

-taxi should be used within a ten year period only...after that safety is compromised.

-that goes double for minibuses! they are NOT HUMAN FEMALE!!!! 30-40yrs old ISNT YOUNG!!

-about tricycles...i hope they have a printed fare matrix like the jeeps..
i payed 30-50pesos for a 5min walk distance..its not even a quarter of a liter..
plus the terminals. they are placed in sidewalks! its called side walk for crying out loud. not sideride!!

- i like pedicabs in cavite..fair trade.. 5-8pesos ang 5min walk distance,

in tondo- 50-80pesos for the mentioned distance ^ (no kidding)galit pa yun dahil trafik daw
oh well... its their cab thats being towed by the trucks..

-- Edited by polskie at 08:00, 2008-07-16

pilandok · Cyber Pilandok

I agrees with cow...

Long trips need luxurious way of having it

Intramuros still has Kalesa, though some part of binondo has it, pero wag naman sa taft avenue

Side car or pedicab must have its own lane.... tinginingngingin naman, harang sila sa daan...

Malabon has a bike zone, why does manila and qc have none?

Lrt trains... sana malaki na sila ~_~

roachy · 10CM - nurse bassist

i do agree on every public utility vehicles having a certain lifespan .. yung iba kasi like yung jeepney (na mabliis tumitirik) should be put to rests na. even the mini bus, mdami pa ring mini bus na bumibyahe from novaliches to sta.cruz na super luma na, mahilig na punuoin ang ng pasahero at kung magpatakbo kala mo wala ng bukas...yung tipong nagddrift kada liko at tumatagilid na sa sobrang dami ng pasahero..

and about tricycles naman e same thing din. yung samin kasi e sumasabay sa fare hike ng jeepney. yungh konting distansya e worth 8 pesos. ang minimum ride samin eh 8 pesos and kapag lumik na ng isang kanto e + 1 peso waw negosyo nga naman...

and sana nga ituloy yung pagdagdag ng lanes sa lrt/mrt. ang alam ko e ngstart na gawan ng way yung sa mcarthur hi-way...yung ibang mg squatters kasi along mcarthur hiway sa may bandang pandayan e wala na...so i think e umuusad naman yung project kahit papano.

and for taxis..i am not a kia pride fan too. hehe

Tora^2 · Beerkadet

The problem with Buses, Trikes, Taxis and Jeepneys drivers, are that they are compensated by the excess of the boundary they have to pay the operator. This makes them very aggressive in trying to fish for as many passengers as possible to make ends meet. This drives them to violate loading/unloading zones, overloading and other traffic policies.

It was suggested in an article published the July edition of Top Gear that they be given a fixed Salary to tame tthose drivers

Tricycle operators should move to 4-stroke engines. Not only do 2-strokes belch more smoke, they're terrible noise polluters.

Taxis, should as Pcow mentioned in his thread switch over to Avanzas. Another wise bet would be those Hyundai diesel compact sedans. I just rode one home last week from work. I do not have an issue with Kia Cabs as long as the operators keep them well maintained especially the dashboard, seatbelts and brakes.

Jeepney makers should make the jeeps safer. It goes without saying that anti-smoking policies be strictly enforced on them as well. I have encountered several jeeps where the driver and or a buddy of his sitting up front smoking with other passengers aboard posing a serious health risk to them. The waves of the future for this venerable vehicle would be to switch to alternate fuels like biodiesel or those e-Jeeps making test runs in the Makati CBD where aircon jeeps make regulkar runs. These point to a possibility the Jeep of the future could be a hybrid of the Jeepney, AUV Cab and Mini-bus. There is still a niche for this vehicle especially in the short-medium haul trips. Many roads here are too small for Buses and can service passengers coming too and from commuter trains stops.

-- Edited by Tora^2 at 18:56, 2008-07-16

polskie · Carpooler

pilandok wrote:

I agrees with cow...

Long trips need luxurious way of having it

Intramuros still has Kalesa, though some part of binondo has it, pero wag naman sa taft avenue

Side car or pedicab must have its own lane.... tinginingngingin naman, harang sila sa daan...

Malabon has a bike zone, why does manila and qc have none?

Lrt trains... sana malaki na sila ~_~

tsong, imagine going to work between 9-11am..on a bike..=)
they should have like a covered walkway or "rideway" for bikes. like baguio's coverd rink. it should guarantee the safety and scent of the riders.

boy1: "sana may bike lane para yun nalang gagamitin ko papuntang adu"
ako: "ok..pero sana may shower room tayo"

pilandok · Cyber Pilandok

^ haha, Tama, kung wala nga namang covered court eh they will be like a wet mop going to work

Meron kayang mag imbento ng big foot na PUJ?

polskie · Carpooler

waaaah!! may nakita ako!!! its as big as an 8 wheeler!!! ang lakii!!

kagulat! nagdedeliver yata sa divisoria!
as in! jeep style but everything is gigantic!!

roachy · 10CM - nurse bassist

hindi kaya bus un? di ba ung mga school bus e ung harapa e parang sa jeep...well yung mga lumang models...

i think meron pa nun sa edsa "california bus lines" ata...

sublimeabsurdity · Senior

Tumaas na naman ang pamasahe! Now I'm really contemplating on getting a bike.

roachy · 10CM - nurse bassist

may balita n magiincrease ulit ang singil sa gasoline/diesel although bumaba na ata ang presyo ng langis sa world market

Tora^2 · Beerkadet

Marikina and Quezon City do have their bicyle lanes. However coverage is limited.

You're lucky if you live in Project 2/3 and you study or work in UP Diliman, Miriam or Ateneo.

Same if you live in NY, Cubao and you work at the Araneta Center Branch of ACS, APAC or Accenture.

Or if you live in Kalumpang and you attend classes at Kalayaan College or you are a Tech Support Agent for Teletech in Riverbanks

However, If you live in San Juan and your office is is Makati CBD or you study in DLSU or Mapua (Intramuros campus), you might as well invest in a G-Pass. If you you still insist on taking a commuter bike, good luck making evasive maneuvers on Passenger-hungry buses and semi-trailer trucks. Don't forget your gas mask and to pay the premium on your memorial plan.

psychoCOW · Beerkadet Mascot/Matinee Idol

I hate to admit it, but I'm actually all for Jeeps raising their fare to P10. P8 to P8.50 has no impact whatsoever.

Speaking of jeeps, Makati actually has airconditioned jeeps. They ply the Makati loop route, which cuts through Legaspi and Salcedo Villages.

And there are Superjeeps in service. Big-Ass jeeps very similar to minibuses.

Why can't our jeeps like this instead? This is what Jeeps look like in Cebu.
IMG-6504.JPG?et=Vl4FzOM3jtrLpYfWsSqp1Q&nmid=7420315

IMG-6504.JPG?et=Vl4FzOM3jtrLpYfWsSqp1Q&nmid=7420315

And this is how jeeps look like in Iloilo:

Where's the justice?

-- Edited by psychoCOW at 02:51, 2008-07-18

polskie · Carpooler

^ the first jeep is common in BAGUIO, coz of the terrain. its like elf trucks fitted with jeep body. the 2nd one is just so damn cool.waxed and all! and no "stainless steel"! i feel bad for manila already haha!

@sublime: doc, expect the fare to be 10-12pesos minimum by the end of the year. we share the same sentiments on getting a bike. pero for short distances lang.

Guys guys, we shouldnt fret at the thought of fare rising coz its not our friendly manong driver's fault. oil is $100++ in the market from 1995's $55. its really annoying to have a fight with manong for 1.50. i sometimes talk to other classmen of mine that complaining to someone who is not the source of problem is futile.

"so what if its 10php? you can afford your havaianas and tag jeans, take your girl to fancy resto's , shop at rockwell, drink with friends in bars, buy signed shoes, watch movies, use your airconditioner, and sip your starbucks pero you cant spare an additional 1.50 to the guy who drives you to school?"
- it works most of the time.

psychoCOW · Beerkadet Mascot/Matinee Idol

Tora^2 wrote:

If you you still insist on taking a commuter bike, good luck making evasive maneuvers on Passenger-hungry buses and semi-trailer trucks. Don't forget your gas mask and to pay the premium on your memorial plan.

Wimp. I used to bike from Parañaque to Makati when I was 12. And I'd bike again in a heartbeat.

Come to think of it, it's pretty viable for me to bike, coz I live in Makati CBD, and most of my rackets are centered in Makati and Ortigas. Having said that, there's a lot of truth to what you posted, Tora2. It is generally not safe to bike long distances in Metro Manila. And then there's the issue of smelling like roadkill afterwards.

Still, if you really want to bike, you'd find solutions.

PS: In case you're wondering how I biked from Parañaque - Makati...

BF Pque - Sucat Road
Sucat Road to West Service Road
West Service Road to Bicutan
Bicutan to Pasong Tamo extension
Extension to Makati!

I used to bike from Parañaque to Tagaytay on a regular basis. I did Parañaque to Antipolo once. Yes, I was with a touring group.

roachy · 10CM - nurse bassist

i like the idea of having "jeeps" like the ones roaming iloilo...(now thats what you call a bad-ass jeep

)

and about the bike thing, it will be a good exercise provided that there will be less smoke belchers on the road you are biking into...

Tora^2 · Beerkadet

The harsh reality here for commuter bikers are that:

>Roads in residential and smaller ones in commercial areas like CBD are seen as bike friendly.

> Medium-scale roads in commercial busier areas like Espana, Ayala, Katipunan and Buendia pose a low-medium low roadkill risk for cyclist-commuters.

> Major hi-ways like C5 and EDSA are at best avoided at rush hour when motorists and bus/cab drivers have the shortest fuses ,late at night when drivers (private and public) get their speed fix and when the truck ban is lifted. Weekend mornings are the only safe time for cyclists of the Lance Armstrong variety especially those in large groups.

I've always asked my folks for a bike when I was a kid but my Mom remembers years ago when my Uncle had a fracture from being hit by a truck in front of our house. Our place near Camps Aguinaldo and Crame is along a major jeepney route making it a no-bike zone for those learning to ride one. Now I can afford to buy one (for trips to the market) what specs should I look for?

polskie · Carpooler

^ something low profile. a mountain bike for paved road.
3-5 gear shift
avoid iron alloy body. theres a cheap bike at sm around 3-4k and its light.but if youre a tru-blu pinoy bad ass, you'll make one of your own. gives you the bragging rights =)

doctor_in_the_making · bookworm

SANA... mabilis dumating yung mga train sa stations. ang bagal bagal kase, kaya laging puno na kapag nasa next station. tsaka, ang init ng mrt minsan!

Tora^2 · Beerkadet

The people the MRT make the most money off would be those who travel from the farthest end end of the line to the other like those who travel from Taft to Cubao or NorthAvenue or from Balcaran to Caloocan. And it's the fastest and cheapest way to travel that long distance. Hence, the massive passenger load from those stations

Unfortunately, those stations like the MRT Station on Taft are managed in the same manner as Jeepney terminals. They refuse to let the train leave the station all cars are filled up. The wait to fill up those trains with Northbound passengers ties up everyone else on the other stations along the route from Taft to North Ave.

-- Edited by Tora^2 at 16:17, 2008-07-20

-- Edited by Tora^2 at 16:20, 2008-07-20

roachy · 10CM - nurse bassist

hmmmm sana din may time ung dating and alis ng train para at least organized....

pilandok · Cyber Pilandok

psychoCOW wrote:

PS: In case you're wondering how I biked from Parañaque - Makati...
BF Pque - Sucat Road
Sucat Road to West Service Road
West Service Road to Bicutan
Bicutan to Pasong Tamo extension
Extension to Makati!
I used to bike from Parañaque to Tagaytay on a regular basis. I did Parañaque to Antipolo once. Yes, I was with a touring group.

Your from Paranaque, bf?

waw, sa aug I'll start working there

Megara · Tiger Princess

wow....commuting sucks but having your own ride sucks too especially now that the gasoline price is sky high.

Tora^2 · Beerkadet

You should tell that to my boss whose cars include a CRV, an LR300 and yes a Ford Expedition. But then, it's their way of showing that they've made it because they can afford to gas up those vehicles.

A better status symbol would be for Hollywood A-listers buying hybrid Toyota Prius sedans. Here in the Philippines, though, the only other guys who own one other than Toyota Motors Phils would be the Department of Energy who at times would loan theirs to Pres. Arroyo.

So far, the only cost-effective alt-fuel motor vehicle in wide use would be gas/LPG hybrids as well as Golf carts. CNG and Biodiesel buses and those eJeeps here are only making test runs

-- Edited by Tora^2 at 20:31, 2008-07-22

sublimeabsurdity · Senior

Tora^2 wrote:

You should tell that to my boss whose cars include a CRV, an LR300 and yes a Ford Expedition. But then, it's their way of showing that they've made it because they can afford to gas up those vehicles.

A better status symbol would be for Hollywood A-listers buying hybrid Toyota Prius sedans. Here in the Philippines, though, the only other guys who own one other than Toyota Motors Phils would be the Department of Energy who at times would loan theirs to Pres. Arroyo.

So far, the only cost-effective alt-fuel motor vehicle in wide use would be gas/LPG hybrids as well as Golf carts. CNG and Biodiesel buses and those eJeeps here are only making test runs

-- Edited by Tora^2 at 20:31, 2008-07-22

Yes, I agree. In one news report i chanced upon a rich lady even commented that she liked her gas guzzling car simply because it's big and that gas prices doesn't bother her because she could afford it anyway.

I'm still optimistic though that prices for energy efficient cars will still go down and that there is still hope for other alternative and renewable sources of energy out there waiting to be tapped.

polskie · Carpooler

perhaps in the near future, safer nuclear energy will be a good alternative.
or the mythical biocells. im not sure about this one. but earth is a giant magnet..
current can be produced when the flux of north and south pole of a magnet is cut by a conductor. thats why we have resistance and own voltage..

maybe im out of my league. pero sayang ang resources..

Essedel Elodil Eihren · Senior

Siguro pag talagang alaga naman ung Kia Pride, OK pa rin naman siguro performance nun.

kung talaga naman alaga un sasakyan kahit siguro 50 years old na un, pwede pa talaga. Kung un lang talaga un maaafford nila eh. Pero sana naman po ung tipong alaga talaga un sasakyan, la ako reklamo pag gurang na sasakyan basta alagang alaga sya. My dad tries to tune up ung sasakyan namin dito sa haus, so kahit gurang na un vehicle namin ok pa sya ipasada. They also have to do something para din medyo OK un aircon ng vehicles. I mean, flag down rate nya 30 pesos (how much is it na ba ngaun) tas ung aircon mo kasing lakas lang ng isang nagpapamaypay sa tabi mo.

Also, I experoienced an incident with my mom, we took a taxi from Greenhills pauwi sa amin sa me Masinag, what the heck, ung taxi driver had the temerity to stop over sa gas station to fill up or ayusin ung gulong nya ang tagal! So we had to pay for the time he went there pa rin! GRRR!

Dati me aircon jeep na galing Cubao papunta Divisoria. Tried that once with my mom, kaso me motion sickness ata ako, o dahil baka siguro kaskasero un driver. Hilo talaga ako dun uber.

As for the pedicabs, if they know na dayo kau dun, talaga tatagain kau sa presyo. This goes the same for tricycles, sometimes sa jeepneys din. Pero me mababait naman mga drivers, kaso super unti lang nila.