I live in a developing country, where efficient mass transportation is a luxury rather than a rule. Once you're in Philippine roads, most of the accepted traffic norms get thrown out the window. Hence, the daily commute to work can be likened to a daily trudge in commuter hell. For the unschooled, the experience can be disconcerting.
Photos from seeknomore.blogspot.com and skyscrapercity.com
I’ve been a patron of Manila’s crude mass transit system ever since my freshman year in high school. Aside from the two-year period wherein we lived in faraway Novaliches and I attended the Ateneo High School in Katipunan, my commutes have always been short albeit traffic-choked hops. Once I landed my first, 8am to 5am job in Makati – the nation’s financial center – I must admit that I was mildly shocked by the conditions of the MRT, an elevated light rail system along EDSA. Although I got used to the sardine-like conditions, I still rued the fact that I had to take two jeepney rides and walk a full kilometer just to get home! The entire trip home took around two hours.
Photo from Wikipedia
The costs of driving my 1993 Lancer GLi all the way to Makati is just way too staggering, with the combined fuel and parking costs sure to punch a large hole in my wallet, not to mention the sheer stress of negotiating the Metro’s congested roads.
My athletics comeback necessitated a more efficient approach. When I found out that the Trinoma mall offers 24-hour parking and a flat-rate during weekdays, I decided to try it out. Trinoma is located right beside the North Avenue MRT station. The Quezon City mall has two covered parking facilities (the Mindanao and North Avenue parking buildings) that specifically caters to park-and-ride commuters. Since it's open 24-hours, one can come in anytime*. Just don’t park beyond 2am to avoid overnight parking penalties.
Photos from Wikipedia
Mind you, I still have to wake up at around 5am to leave the house at around 6am, just to beat the morning rush. Even though my daily transport costs have gone up slightly with the parking and fuel charges, I was able to shave off a good 30 to 45 minutes of travel time.
This park-and-ride arrangement, where one reaps the benefits of being a private vehicle owner and a mass transport patron at the same time, is god-sent. I don’t plan on bringing a car all the way from home to work anytime soon because of this convenient option.
* - Park at the North Avenue Carpark Building. The mall entrance/exit stays open after mall hours. The parking rate is Php 50 on weekdays (flat rate). On weekends and holidays, the mall charges an hourly rate.
* - Park at the North Avenue Carpark Building. The mall entrance/exit stays open after mall hours. The parking rate is Php 50 on weekdays (flat rate). On weekends and holidays, the mall charges an hourly rate.
