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| photo by Miguel Verzo |
As you go through the famous roads of the Philippines especially in Metro Manila, you will always notice that small vehicle weaving through traffic, shifting left to right, called a motorcycle.
According to the Land Transportation Office, more than half of the current 6.2M registered vehicles are motorcycles.
Based on a study of MMDA in 2009 and in Metro Manila alone an approximate number of vehicular accidents involving motorcycles is around 15,000 of which there were 100 fatalities.
Now the question is, are these accidents a sign on how Philippine roads have degraded so low that motorist face so much threat of being involved in accidents or is this just an issue of irresponsible driving?
Over the years of constant change in the direction of city planning by the government, roads in the Philippines always get a face lift. There's always a change in traffic law, a change in traffic direction and worse, road barricades on major roads. Thus poor road management by the government is probably contributing to the hazards motorists are facing each day.
On another note, driving through the roads of the Philippines, you will bear witness to motorcycles rocketing onto stoplights trying to beat the red light or making turns on intersections that are prohibited. - No U-Turn, No Left/Right turn, etc. You will even encounter some that swerves left and right trying to pass cars, racing other motorcyclist.
Whether the issue is poor road management by the government or irresponsible driving by motorist, people should be rattled by the amount of accidents alone. The government should clearly impose more road safety rules and start policing the roads better against violators. License should also be given to applicants that are properly tested to ensure the roads are clear of inexperienced drivers that may cause havoc.
In our opinion roads should be closely watched by the government and should also be a personal responsibility of every motorist. We believe that the roads of a country act as it veins and the motorists as the blood that course through it. The roads reflects the quality of life the country has to offer, thus, must be taken care of.
What do you think will help solve the road situation in the Philippines?
