Dr. Ramon Ricardo A. Roque, CESOI, Diplomate
The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) initiative to ban provincial buses from Cubao in Quezon City to Magallanes in the Makati-Pasay area should proceed as scheduled tomorrow, August 1 and the individuals and groups that are against it should hold their piece first.
Resisting change without seeing first the effects of such change is a move to preserve the status quo. The status quo of the traffic condition along EDSA is something that should not be preserved.
The said MMDA initiative is clearly directed towards the reduction of vehicles (in this case, provincial buses) using EDSA particularly during the rush hours of 7:00 to 10:00 in the morning and 6:00 to 9:00 in the evening.
Those who oppose the ban because of the “inconvenience” and additional cost to the passengers of provincial buses should see the bigger and whole picture of the scheme.
For some passengers, the number of rides will nor increase as they also need to take additional rides after taking off from the banned sector of EDSA. The MMDA gave the assurance that city buses will be available for the affected passengers.
Even if the MMDA will mean additional ride, additional cost or some other inconveniences for the affected passengers, they should not fail to see the benefit of better vehicular traffic flow along EDSA.
Would one prefer to be stuck in traffic than pay a few pesos more or make additional walking steps?
Will it be too much for the passengers of the affected provincial buses to bear such inconveniences if it will mean better travel experience for thousands of other fellow Filipinos using EDSA?
Changes have costs just as they have benefits. If we are not willing to pay the costs, how can we even desire to have changes that benefit us?
While we can always counter the programs of government, we should do so only after we are certain that the costs of government actions are far more than the benefits that such actions desire to realize. Moreover, it will do us no good to counter government programs that are not yet implemented just because it will result in some form of inconvenience for some of us.
The traffic problem in EDSA, just like any other national concern, needs to be addressed not just by the government but by the people as well.
Addressing problems requires taking actions by trying and not shooting down solution ideas. See first if an idea works. If it does not, refine it and if it still does not work, shoot it down. Shooting down sensible solution ideas will in no way solve any problem.
