Motoring Today Column

Jun 17, 2020

There has always been this great debate over which group is the main cause of traffic congestion.

Private vehicle owners blame public utility vehicles, buses and jeepneys, and their ill-disciplined drivers, hogging lanes, stopping anywhere and everywhere, causing daily gridlock at intersections.

In rebuttal, PUV drivers and operators point to the sheer number of private vehicles on the road as the main cause of congestion. There are only so many vehicles that major thoroughfares and minor streets can accommodate at any given time.

We should have good indicators on which argument is closer to correct as we transition to the new normal.

Private vehicles are being allowed back as community quarantine protocols are eased while public transport remain largely restricted.

If traffic congestion of pre-Covid19 levels are again experienced even with the number of buses, shuttles, jeepneys on metro streets remaining restricted, then public transport groups are right.

If the traffic maintains a steady flow, even if relatively slow, with heavy volumes of vehicles on the road, then private vehicle owners win the debate.

There are indications that the argument of private vehicle owners would be severely tested in the new normal. Local automakers and distributors are looking to take advantage of the lack of public transport and the fear of contagion using what's being made available to commuters.

Auto industry observers predict a surge in the sale of entry level vehicles, especially those in the sub 600k range. Promos are targetting front-liners as well as others in so-called essential sectors. They also expect the second-hand auto market to heat up.

This should increase the number of private vehicles in the metro exponentially. And we are not even including motorcycles and bicycles who are being given their own lanes.

Automakers and distributors, along with partner banks, are making it easier to acquire cars, brandnew or pre-owned.

Honda Link

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) has launched a new website feature to provide "an easier and safer way for customers to apply for an auto loan with the brand's official bank partners."

"During these trying times, we are one with the country's continuing fight against Covid-19 and this is one of the ways that we are adapting to the new normal. One of our top priorities during this challenging time is to provide a more convenient and safer way for our customers to purchase a car while staying in the comforts of their home," said Masahiko Nakamura, president of Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), in a press statement.

Toyota Extension

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has extended until June 30, 2020 its Better Days Ahead promo that provides attractive deals, flexible financing schemes, and generous rebates to buyers of Toyota vehicles.

This includes getting P125K in savings for a Vios or light monthly payments for as low as P6,683 per month, as well as other value for money deals for the Corolla Altis, Rush, Innova, Fortuner, Hilux, and GL variants of the FMC Hiace.

The company is also helping those interested in buying pre-owned vehicles with its Toyota's Certified Used Car (TCUV) program.

TCUV is one of TMP's value-chain programs that offers customers used vehicles that have undergone a rigorous 211-point inspection and certification procedure before being classified as "certified used vehicles," it said in a press statement.

"Recently, most of those who inquire from our TCUV dealers are commuters who regularly use public and mass transport to get to work or to carry out essential trips for their family's needs," said Gener Castillo, TMP assistant vice president for value chain section.

Contact-less Payment

Contact-less payment for products and services is becoming one of the significant trends in the new normal.

Phoenix Petroleum has started to accept payment for products and services at its network of stations in Luzon via such non-cash payment apps as Alipay, GCash, GrabPay, and WeChat Pay that use QR code scanning.

"Phoenix has always been an advocate of safe and secure service. While we continue to provide quality products to our customers, we are also very serious in our rally towards stopping the spread of Covid-19 . . . we want to further ensure the safety of our customers by offering contactless transactions that could help flatten the curve," said Phoenix Petroleum president and COO Henry Albert Fadullon, in a press statement.

Cash-less Tollroads

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is moving to implement cash-less transactions on all toll roads it operates.

In a press statement, SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang announced that SMC Tollways will offer free installation of RFID stickers not only to public utility vehicles, but to all types of vehicles that use the following: Skyway, NAIA Expressway, South Luzon Expressway, Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollways), and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

"We are committed to protecting motorists and our tollway operators and ensuring that everyone's health is safeguarded by limiting personal contact and going 100% RFID on tollroads that we operate," Ang said.

Getting RFID will be convenient and accessible with a scheme called "RFID To Go" where the sticker can be installed at identified lanes at tollway gates with a minimum P200 load for Class 1 vehicles and an amount equivalent to farthest toll for Class 2 and 3.

Happy Motoring!!!

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