Commonwealth Avenue Musings

I have traversed Commonwealth Avenue - as a commuter and as a driver - for as long as I can remember. Recent news reports have branded the widest road in the country as the highway of death. Despite the imposition of a 60km/h speed limit under the watchful eyes of traffic enforcers and policemen alike, the avenue still retains its notorious reputation, thanks to several high profile accidents.

The most dangerous vehicles on this wide expanse of chaotic concrete are the passenger buses. Hard-pressed by an unjust compensation system, bus drivers ply their trader with reckless abandon. All along the kilometers-long stretch of the highway, these poorly educated ruffians take part in a free-for-all chase for passengers. The designated yellow bus lanes and bus stops are followed only when the enforcers are within sight. Buses (and jeepeneys) weave their way around the vast avenue. Following traffic laws, it seems, are optional.

The most dangerously daring among all these private transport franchises are the ironically-named Safeway buses. A few years ago, I had the chance to ride one such vehicle from Makati late at night. It took the deranged bus driver a mere thirty-five minutes to traverse the thiry-five kilometers (or so) to Tandang Sora.

This noon, I got stuck in the most whimsically stupid crossroads in the whole wide world - the Tandang Sora-Commonwealth intersection. Traffic was impeded by a three-vehicle collision. A maroon Honda City and a rusty jeepney were awkwardly blocking the left lanes of Commonwealth, the lanes going to Tandang Sora. The big hulk of a Safeway bus stood a few meters from the jeepney, sporting a broken windshield and a crushed bumper.

   

I often wonder why our traffic enforcers allow accidents to stall traffic, instead of diplomatically settling these administrative matters on the side of the road. Since our country is run by imbeciles, I let the matter pass.

I could only hypothesize at the cause of the accident. My gut is telling me that the maniac behind the wheel of the Safeway bus was the root cause.

Driving through Commonwealth Avenue is an eye-opener to the ills of our country. From flea-brained traffic solution of indiscriminate road widening and U-turn slots, drug-crazed public transport drivers, undisciplined private motorists and corrupt law/traffic enforcers is a microcosm of everything that is wrong with the Philippines.

Things are tad bit better than it were a few years back, thanks to the unexpectedly strong resolve shown by the MMDA. It might take a few more generations before Juan dela Cruz becomes an properly educated motorist. All is not lost.