Rants of an irate driver

Cong Corrales

I HAVE only been a motorist for a short time in the early ’90s. But as a long time commuter, I commiserate with them as far as the traffic situation in the city is concerned. So, when an irate long-time driver complains, I listen intently as I have never shunned from a learning opportunity.

His rant on the traffic situation in the city is three-part, so please bear with me.

The first part of his rant is of traffic lights. Like him, I would also want to know the schedule when the Road and Traffic Administration switches these on. Is there an actual schedule or are these just defective? If defective, then when will city hall allot a budget for the repair?

There is this traffic light at the junction in Cogon. Like the irate driver, I have observed this particular traffic light because my boss and I pass by this junction when going to the newsroom most of the time. The damned thing is off most of the time with only the yellow light blinking like crazy.

Suffice it to say that the traffic lights in the city are on as random as your average Christmas lights.

The second part of his rant is on traffic aides. Where does traffic czar Egay Uy hire these people from? Does the RTA train these people before deploying them in the streets?

I only ask these questions because even if I’m not driving, I find their gestures confusing. You cannot tell if they’re signaling you to stop or to go. Yes, it is that confusing. There has even been a time when they direct traffic while standing on the side of the road and not at the center of the junction.

There is the issue of their visibility at night time. No, it’s not that they are not working, as in no visibility in the streets. I’m talking about their visibility to drivers at night. They don’t have reflectorized (if that’s a legit word) uniforms.

The irate driver I was talking to last week said he cannot see the traffic aide much less the gesture the aide was doing with his hands at night. Another driver-friend I know nearly bumped the poor traffic aide and it doesn’t help that their uniforms are dark, either.

The third part of his rant is the mobility of these traffic aides. He told me he once watched a traffic aide run (yes, on foot) from the badminton place in Gusa to the junction in Galaxy to apprehend an erring driver who eluded him.

My friend suggests that every team of traffic aides should have a patrol car so they could pursue erring drivers if these do not stop on their command.

I remember watching a friend traffic aide manning the junction on Velez. He flagged down an erring taxi driver but instead of stopping, the taxi driver sped off. My friend was helpless and just gave out a sigh of frustration.

So there you have it, the irate driver’s rant on traffic in the city. I felt compelled to write his rants in my column because he has been complaining out the traffic situation in the city for the longest time.

I hope, the traffic czar reads this.