“Adding lanes to solve traffic congestion is like loosening your belt to solve obesity.” –Glen Hemistra
“They say the universe is expanding. That should help with the traffic.”-Steven Wright
How often is it that we hear people gripe and moan about the
traffic conditions in Metro Manila?
Well, if not every single day then quite possibly every
moment of the day then. After all, if you have been living in the highly urbanized
area of Manila, you would know just how bad the traffic onslaughts can be. In
fact, it seems like the city is under a perpetual siege of hours which would
take you anywhere between a couple of hours to more just to reach your
destinations regardless of its proximity to you. However, while you think
regular traffic is bad, it gets so much worse during the Christmas season when
quite a lot of people would be out and about during the holiday rush. It gets
particularly bad in areas like Makati CBD and other shopping districts
where hundreds or even thousands upon thousands of people would converge to do
their last-minute Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, for commuters, this can be
really stressful as their normally long commute would be even longer leaving
them to driving in traffic for hours. As this gives you quite a lot of time in
your car to kill, here are some of the ways you can beat the Manila traffic
which includes everything from parking solutions, route alternatives and
entertainment:
Call a friend that you have not talked to recently
Secure parking spaces conveniently
During the holiday rush, it can get
incredibly difficult to secure a parking spot in commercial areas and shopping
districts. In fact, the congestion of cars would spill over to the streets
where you would even see some cars parked along the alley. Private car owners
would find themselves circling for hours just trying to find a single spot
available. Some people would opt to leave their cars at home and commute on
their way to the area to address this dilemma. However, if you must bring your
car with you, be sure to download the ParkEazy app which would help you solve
this dilemma. All you would need to do after downloading the said app would be
to pay online, scan the QR code and then park at your assigned slot.
Have a navigation app
Speaking of apps, anyone commuting through Metro
Manila without the aid of a navigation application such as Waze is definitely
behind the times and might end up being delayed in traffic for hours at a time
because of this flub. Today, with overly congested streets and perpetual
traffic gridlocks all over the metropolis, navigation apps such as Waze have
become a necessity as it helps drivers take the fastest and shortest route to
their destination—traffic considered of course. During the busiest season of
the year, you really should not even consider driving around the city if you do
not even have or use this app. You would likely end up getting frustrated
because of the traffic delays and lock-ups.
Carpool
Do your part in easing traffic congestion in
Metro Manila by opting to carpool in lieu of taking your own car. Carpooling is
pretty much like the Tupperware counterpart in traffic where groups of people
going to destination would all be in one car instead of driving separate ones. Gather
around your friends during a night-out and instead of taking separate cars, opt
to carpool and have a designated driver. Apart from doing your part in
assuaging traffic congestion, carpooling with friends can be very helpful to
your finances as your friends might pay you in kind in exchange for getting to
ride with you. One of them might offer to pay for your gas while the other
might even offer to buy you lunch. Not a bad deal, right?
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