Motoring Today Column

Feb 07, 2018

The government is hell bent on relentlessly pursuing the clearing of streets and sidewalks of obstructions, with focus on illegally parked vehicles. These efforts would most particularly involve, but not limited to alternate routes that motorists can utilize especially during the construction of mega infrastructure road projects, which are all projected to create more traffic problems than we currently have now. And the fact is many of these projects have already been started with a lot more poised to begin as the government pursues its build, build and build program.

This was most especially emphasized during the stakeholders consultative meeting dubbed a 'COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN METRO MANILA' held last Thursday, February 1 at theTESDA Women's Center in Taguig City, to which I was invited to attend. It was actually a getting together of members of government agencies involved in the management of traffic in the metro and those from the private and business sectors and the media for the purpose of discussing possible solutions to the almost appalling way of daily travel of Metro Manila's citizens and denizens.

Part of the laudable initiatives of the i-ACT (Inter Agency Council for Traffic), a super inter agency group composed of the MMDA, PNP-HPG, LTFRB, LTO, Metro Manila Council, Liga ng Mga Barangay, DILG & AFP put up by the government to focus on traffic management in the metro and nearby provinces, the consultative meeting has come up with some possible solutions, which are to be presented to thePresident for immediate implementation possibly through Executive Orders.

With the uncompromising implementation of street and sidewalk clearing, especially of illegally parked vehicles, the problem of where all these displaced garage-less vehicles would go is a stark reality and one of the topics discussed in detail during the meeting. And one of the solutions being mulled to soften up the problem is to put up multi level parking structures along the PNR railways, where part of the failed "Imeldific" housing solutions (BLISS) were erected, which turned out to be the informal settlers' haven and a perennial scene of train accidents.

At first glance it appears to be a brilliant idea considering that there will not be any ROW (right of way) problems as the targeted area belongs to the government being part of the PNR's easement. With the erection of these parking structures the informal settlers' "coming in and out" would come to an end and the safe passage of trains would be ensured. The rail road being turned into a huge garbage bin would be stopped and train passengers would have the peace of mind of not being thrown garbage to their faces, which became a daily occurrence when informal settlers were rooted almost only inches away from both sides of the rails.

Aside from the use of railroad easement as possible site of parking structures, present privately owned tracts of land in some barangays illegally appropriated by informal settlers can be turned into high rise parking structures, of course after proper relocation of those occupying them.

The parking structures, with minimal parking fees to ensure proper maintenance and security would be either run privately or by the Barangay.

With these parking structures in place the strict implementation of"No Parking on National Roads" and "No Garage, No Car" policies would be easier.

Also discussed lengthily was the idea of constructing roads parallel to the Pasig River on both sides and the modernization of theFerry Service along the Pasig River to combine with the other possible concepts to further mitigate the horrendous traffic gridlocks that would inevitably come in tandem with the mega projects of additional skyways, bridges, road widening, subway, etc., aside of course from the daily torture that we are already enduring.

With the combined efforts of all those involved with the i-ACT in collaboration with the business and private sectors, the only way all these would go to naught is for all of those involve would work to make it fail.

So you want to be a race driver? Well, here's good news for you. Racing is no longer confined to the rich and famous. If you think you have the talent or if you believe you are a natural, all you do is go see the guys from the AAP (Automobile Association of the Philippines). Perhaps you may not even have the innate talent to race but you have the passion to learn, then the AAP is willing and very able to turn you into one hell of a race driver.

Some three decades back when the TV show Motoring Today came to existence, one of our focused undertaking was to promote local motorsports. My late co-host and friend Pocholo Ramirez, the then acknowledged "racing living legend" and myself were covering all the local events and show them on our segment, Race Weekend together with international events like WRC or World Rally Championship, Formula 1, Moto GPs, etc., until the time when there was a clamor for more international events especially Formula 1. And considering that there are only fifty-two weeks in a year, with Motoring Today airing only weekly, we couldn't continue accommodating the local events. Besides, it was more convenient to air international events because it didn't require our actual presence or coverage, just a pre-taped production of the coverage.

But lately I have noticed a significant decrease in the media coverage of local motorsports. Print news items come far in between and seldom do you see them on "free" TV, even on cable. This made me conclude that local motorsports may be in the decline, until I had an on cam interview on Motoring Today with Mandy Eduque, the chairman of the Motorsports Committee of the AAP, the local governing body for motorsports as mandated by the FIA, Fèdèracion Internationale de l'Automobile , the world's motorsports governing body. The interview was really aimed to find out the status of local motorsports.

And to my pleasant surprise I found out that motorsports in the country is not in its decline but on the contrary is on the rise, thanks to the efforts of the AAP through the encouragement and funding of the FIA.

In our interview Mandy proudly reported that in 2017 alone the AAP was able to sanctioned 62 events involving the different motorsports disciplines like circuit racing, karting, autocross, slalom, drag racing and very recently rally cross.

The AAP has currently a motorsports development initiative funded by the FIA called Motorsports Development Program where anybody regardless of gender can participate to learn the basics of proper driving on to the rudiments of racing. All one has to do is to check out the website of the AAP for more information as to the date and venue of these free teach-ins.

No, racing is no longer a rich man's sport or limited to those who have the money to spend-all one needs is the passion to learn and the dedication to keep on learning. Go see the AAP and find out for yourselves.

Happy Motoring!!!

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