From: eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad)
Subject: Re: PH: Manila Trip Report
Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 02:40:46 GMT

apakabar@ACCESS.DIGEX.COM ("John A. MacDougall") writes:

apa kabar is a Malay word. Is it used in Philippines?

: I recently came back from a 3-week stay in Manila after having
: been away for almost 5 years.  I was surprised to see a lot of
: changes have taken place . . .

I was there in 1983(?) for a few days.

: 
: 1.   I was surprised by the "flyovers".  This was definitely a
:      good move on the government's part to alleviate the already
:      worsening traffic conditions over there.

Where is it? I cannot envison the flyover be build near luneto/rizal park
area? 
After all, manila is just one long road with a overhead train on top.
How could there be  junctions in the city centre ?
: 
:      In spite of this, traffic is still bad.  I was particularly
:      surprised with my ability to drive in all that traffic even

From my experience with Barcelona and Paris with a lot of flyovers, it is these
flyovers that create the traffic jams. London and Singapore do not have
flyovers in the city centre so the traffic jams are much less, at least you
are moving, unlike barcelona.

:      after a 5 year absence.  Just on my second day there, I
:      immediately dove into a traffic jam on the south expressway
:      and found it quite amusing and adventurous.  I enjoyed
:      driving through numerous pot holes, zigzagging through
:      crowded lanes, and yes . . . even blowing my car horn.  I
:      drove every single day I was there and am happy to report
:      that I was accident free.
: 
I think the philippinos are the worst drivers in the world but they could be
the most expert. Imagine surviving the manoevres within 5inches from each other.
The possibility of someone turning without warning. However, I did not see
any accident. The drivers there are more "alert". This should teach a lesson to
other countries?

Those open-air busses, stopping anywhere, are they still around?

In my opinion, Manila transportation is the most efficient in the world, 
because there is less restriction. It may be chaotic, but it is very efficient.

Those flyovers is a break from tradition.

The only way to remove traffic jams is to build city centres away from the
current one. I got this idea from my colleague from Hong Kong.
	I was surprised that there is little traffic jam in Hong Kong although
there are more cars in Hong Kong than Thailand(?) and Singapore.
	The traffic jam in Thailand is unbearable. In Singapore there is 
little traffic jam but cost too much. However Singapore is trying to follow
 Hong Kong by building other centres apart from Orchard road.

KL is becoming worse even after turning 2-way roads into 1-way roads. I think,
and some reporters also commented, that these 1-way roads do not reduce the
congestion. IMO it causes more congestion.

Flyovers creates congestions at the entrace and exit, and take up valuable
land space for shopping and car parks making the shopping centre and car
parks even more concentrated, and therefor more congested. After all, it is
these shopping centres that people visit finally.

I'm not a road traffic expert but I may know something of communication.
I just do not understand why road planner experts never analyse the way I 
did in the previous paragraphs.
	Maybe they should learn teletraffic engineering to solve the road
traffic problems?
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