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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Two-Wheeled Alternatives
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on July 09, 2008 For the Standard Today, July 10 issue The four-column photograph on the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer of July 9, showing thousands of commuters at an LRT station snaking up the stairs to the station platform, seven or eight abreast, and the line stretching down into the sidewalk, says it all most eloquently.. The middle class have been forced to leave their cars at home and use the LRT and the MRT for their daily commutes to and from work. The high and still climbing (every weekend) cost of gasoline and diesel fuel has forced tens of thousands of office workers and their supervisors and managers to "go public." So much so that the managers of the LRTs and the MRT are worried that the capacity of their trains to carry so many additional passengers is being stretched to the limit. And the sad thing is that there is no end in sight to the almost daily increase in the price of oil. Observers are talking about $150 per barrel this month or next, $200 by end of 2008, and $250 by middle of 2009. Are there really no quick fixes to commuters' woes? Fortunately, there are. But we have to think outside the box. Unfortunately, the Arroyo bureaucrats do not know how to think outside the box, except how to steal more money from the public treasury. Everyone who has been to Ho Chi Minh City (nee Saigon) in Vietnam has been impressed or amused by the sheer number of motorcycles, motorbikes and motor scooters in that bustling and hyper-active city. Ho Chi Minh City (HCM) has eight million inhabitants and four million two-wheelers. Even office girls and sales ladies go to and from work on two-wheelers. Isn't there a lesson to be learned there? (See my article Vietnam Pilgrimage, of Sept. 26, 2006.) Metro Manila has some 15 million inhabitants. I doubt if there are half a million two wheelers here. If the population-to-two-wheelers ratio of HCM were to serve as a model, Metro Manila could use some seven million more two-wheelers, and those middle class types who now crowd the LRTs and MRT � because fuel has become too expensive for their cars � would enjoy the mobility, the economy and the convenience that two-wheelers provide. Of course, there will be those who will decry the presence of so many two-wheelers on the road, on the grounds that Metro Manila would look like a Third World city. Well, I have news for them. Metro Manila is a Third World city and has been one for as long as I can remember. Those who think they inhabit a First World city, just because they live and/or work in an Ayala village, are dreaming wet dreams. And they do not even know recent history. In the decade (1945-1955) directly after the Second World War, the devastated cities of Western Europe and Japan � the real First World now � were cities dominated by bicycles, motor scooters and motorbikes. Very few people then owned or drove automobiles, which came later as their economies became more prosperous. China has been experiencing that transition from two-wheels to four-wheels Because of pervasive American influence here, we never went through the bicycle-motor scooter-motorbike stage. We jumped directly from the calesa to the car. We even tore up the tracks of our pre-war Meralco tramvia, just as the Americans did their electric trams, to make room for the automobile.. Much to the regret of many American urban planners, long before the price of oil reached $50 a barrel. To their credit, the Europeans and the Japanese never tore up their electric tram networks. Common sense dictates that we now embrace the two-wheelers to the same extent as the Vietnamese have. We really have no choice. It would take years (and billions of dollars) to expand the capacities of the LRTs and the MRT. In the meantime, workers and employees have to go to work, students have to go to school, housewives have to do their shopping. How can they commute in comfort if the LRTs and the MRT are jam-packed? When I toured Europe for six months in 1961, I traveled on a 125cc Vespa motor-scooter. A full tank of seven liters of gasoline (with a 5% oil mixture) took me about 240 kilometers. That's more than 34 kms per liter, 129 kms per gallon, or 80 miles per gallon. I logged more than 18,000 kms, up to the Arctic Circle in Finland, and suffered no mechanical breakdown � only one snapped clutch cable and two flat tires � even after climbing up and down the highest pass in the Pyrenees (at Puerta de Envalira in Andorra) between France and Spain, and the second highest pass in the Alps (at Col du Grand St. Bernard) between Italy and Switzerland. An even more economical two-wheeler would be the French moped known as the VeloSolex, which was a common sight in 1961 in French villages, ridden even by grandmothers in black with baguettes squeezed in their underarms. It is an ordinary racer-type bicycle fitted with a small gasoline engine up front, which propels the front wheel by friction. If you run out of fuel or suffer a mechanical breakdown, you just pedal it like an ordinary bicycle. A non-polluting variation would be a VeloSolex powered by an electric motor. It can be either a plug-in model or one run by a small hydrogen fuel cell. A motorcycle run by a fuel cell has been developed in the UK but is not yet being mass-produced. . The VeloSolex has long gone out of production. .I understand the license was bought by a Chinese firm, but I do not know if that firm has started manufacturing it. If not, perhaps the Arroyo government, with its many (dubious) connections in China, can convince the Chinese to sell the VeloSolex license to a Filipino manufacturer. About a dozen brands � Japanese, Korean and Chinese - of motorcycles, scooters and motor-bikes are already being fabricated or assembled domestically. The private sector should encourage their employees and workers to acquire these two-wheelers, either company-financed or financed by the SSS. The GSIS should do the same for government employees. The recent so-called Energy Summit of the Arroyo administration did not mention hydrogen fuel cells and did not mention the wider use of motorcycles, motorbikes and motor scooters. It offered neither long-range nor immediate solutions to the problem. But keep in mind that in Ho Chi Minh City, even office girls and sales ladies ride two-wheelers. Four million Saigonese can't be wrong. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. More articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. . To subscribe, send as blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to "Two-Wheeled Alternatives" Hello, Toks, It must have been a lot of FUN riding through Europe in 1961! You were only about 15 years young? (Actually 25, tocayo.) I was a motorcycle fan. Way back early 1970's, I rode on a Honda 1,000 cc Golden Winger, and crossed THE Golden Gate Bridge then! When I was the President of the Philippine Medical Association, the annual convention in May 1976, was in Baguio City. During the parade, I "marshalled" - was the! head man! and rode - borrowed the 750 cc BMW motorcycle of Dr. Tony Pavia of Baguio. The rest of the PMA council rode on those very tame horses rented from Wright Park. 1986 was my last year riding a motorcycle. The traffic was already too hazarddddous. Then, the only motorcycle I had left, was a 70 cc Honda. A lot of fun to ride, but, again, rather a "kamikaze" ride already. Now, I have two bicycles, (and one stationary bicycle in my home), one cost only 5,000 and the other 25,000 pesos. At my age, and my stage of physical activity, even riding a bicycle is not too comfortable. I find it still a lot of fun, riding just in front of my house , which is a stretch of about 200 meters to a dead end! Tony Oposa, (by email), July 10, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I read with some horror, your article about increasing the number of motorcycles in the Philippines. It seems you are not aware that these vehicles, specially the two-stroke kind, are worse polluters than cars or even SUVs. Not only do they emit the usual pollutants from the burning of gasoline but also the pollutants from partially burned or unburned oil. It is also quite obvious that you have not visited places like Sikatuna Village in Quezon City which has a gazillion tricycles but you may not be able to see them because of all the smoke. Tricycles such as these do not use the usual 2T � they use USED OIL in their tanks. Yes, sir, four million Saigonese and all the cycle-riding Chinese hordes can be wrong. Enrico D. Hidalgo, (by email) July 10, 2008 (So what is your immediate solution to the problem of sky-high gasoline prices and jam-packed LRTs and MRT? Hold another Energy Summit? (I was in Ho Chi Minh City for four days, moving about everyday amid its swarm of four million two-wheelers. There was no smoke like you say there is in Sikatuna Village in Quezon City. So the problem is not the two wheelers but the enforcement of laws against smoke-belching and the use of used-oil in Sikatuna. (You mention the Chinese hordes. To clean the air in preparation for the Olympics, the Chinese have ordered factories within x-miles of Beijing's city center to stop operations; ordered Beijing's 3.3 million cars to stay off the road on odd or even days, depending on their license plate numbers; and totally banned 300,000 of the oldest vehicles, mostly trucks and lorries, from the streets. All these restrictions until Sept. 25. But there are no limitations on the city's millions of two-wheelers. Do the Chinese know something that you don't? ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Your article and its suggestive impact is worth considering. But what was presented is only the positive side. What about the negative. I just read today an article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer by one of their opinion columnist about robberies, murders, snatching and sorts of criminality on two wheelers. What do you think. Anyway, it is worth trying. Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), July 10, 2008 (Of course, there are crimes committed by felons on motorcycles. But there are also crimes committed by felons riding cars, trucks, buses, jeeps, jeepneys and AUVs. That is no reason to ban any of those vehicles. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, i agree with you completely. Last Saturday, I left my gas guzzling SUV in the garage and took the jeepney to Cubao and looked at a few two- wheelers. Some of these China-made motorbikes really look good. They even have a Harley-looking tpe going for Php81k. The lowest model, a 125cc 4 stroke motor goes for Php 39K, available on installment at "0" interest or around Php 3,200. For me, I'd rather trade down to riding a bike that support any VAT cut in petroleum products. I believe in the fundamental economic principle of keeping the price system on a level field. Subsidizing consumption with preferential taxation only mucks up the rationing mechanism of the price system. It's a supply problem, so we just have to adjust our demand. Whether you are rich or poor, the qualitative result is the same, so why monkey around with the law of supply and demand. The sooner we realize that there is nothing we can do about the price of oil, the sooner we can set our minds to finding permanent and lasting solutions to the cost of our own personal energy use. Gus Cosio, (by email), July 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, With the continuing high cost of gasoline, it would really be practical to use scooters or even bicycles to go to work, school, shopping, basically anywhere. Shun the use of cars. I've seen it in Taipei where the main form of transportation is the motor scooter. You could see them travel the roads like ants. However, it's also worth noting that a lot of these cyclists in Taipei are plain nuisance. They just drive everywhere; pedestrian lanes, sidewalks, against the traffic. Sometimes, you just want to hit them with a baseball bat. There should be a strict implementation of traffic laws for motorcyclists in order for it to be embraced by the population. Otherwise, you'll have another form of road rage. Cheers. Chito Salalac, (by email), Burlington, Ont., Canada, July 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, We wish that you would have done a little more research before making the statement that VeloSolex is no more! VeloSolex is alive and well and is still manufactured everyday on France This weekend we will have our 9th Annual Rally around New York City. Have a look at: http://bastilledayr.googlepages.com . We would greatly appreciate informing your readers about our existence and the fact that VeloSolex gets 180 miles per gallon! Sincerely, www.velosolexamerica.com The VeloSolex America team, (by email), July 11, 2008 (It was a French acquaintance who told me that the VeloSolex was no longer being produced in France. And it was a wire story about a year ago that reported that the VS license had been bought by a Chinese firm. But thank you for the correction. I am glad the VeloSolex is still around in France, and also in the US. 180 miles per gallon would be hard to beat. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Excellent recommendation. I hope PGMA will subsidize the acquisition of motorized bikes for the people. With her almost P80 billions of pork barrel funds, she can afford such subsidy, instead of just giving high false hopes with illusionary forecasts of improving Philippine economy. Marlowe Camello, (by email), Homeland, CA, July 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Two wheeler or scooters are excellent for short distance daily trips. In a congested metropolis, the longer your drive a two wheeler , the higher the chances of accident. (That's true for all forms of transport: car, bus, trains, roller skates. ACA) Also must consider the impatient driving attitude of Filipino motorist who acknowledge traffic signs/lights as merely a suggestion but not a traffic rule. The weather temperature in Europe and China is not as hell as in Manila. Makati smog & humidity makes the situation worst. Heavy tropical rain in the afternoon makes two wheeler not a good choice to drive home. At the onset, China & Vietnam were poor so bicycle is the popular transportation medium. Both are now transforming to an automobile society (but passing through a two-wheeler stage. ACA) plus their industry is sucking huge oil supplies which is a factor for higher oil demands. Compound the situation with the specualtors in the oil exchange tradings profiting from word of wars in the middle east... the outcome is a high gasoline cost pass on to poor comsumers. Needless to say oil companies are smiling but that is another issue. (So what is your immediate solution to the problem of sky-high gasoline prices and jam-packed LRTs and MRT? Just complain, complain and complain? ACA) The traffic problem in Manila was a brilliant planning of government administrators to concentrate all business, education, commercial and government activities in the entire metropolis. (Not true. Makati, Ortigas, Rockwell and Alabang � the only major planned communities in Metro Manila � were planned by the private sector. ACA) Almost fourty percent of filipinos live & work in metro-Manila. Drive to nearby towns & provinces there you will see how depress the economy is with only a rural school, a vegetable stand, a small sari-sari store, a pawnshop and a vulcanizing shop then that's about it... a modest economy with no growth and job opportunities for their growing youth. Who would want to live in those places other than those who are afraid to quest for better opportunities in the big cities. But how many big cities are there in the Philippines ... Metro-Manila & Cebu. (Not true. Obviously you have not been to Baguio City, Dagupan City, Angeles City, Laguna province, Batangas province , Cavite province, Bulacan province, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, etc since you left the country in 1910. Come back and see for yourself. ACA). Government must encourage business to relocate outside of Metro-Manila by providing incentives and prioritize development of infrastructure e.g. roads, electic power, communication & utilities in other areas. Dispersing job opportunities in the provinces will ease traffic congestion. (You also have not been to Iligan City, Gen. Santos City, Cavite City, Batangas City, and the export processing zones in Bataan, Baguio, Clark, Mactan Island, and Phividec in Cagayan de Oro. Time to update your outdated pre-conceptions. ACA) I would opt for a four days work week or work from home since internet technology can provide remote access these days. Thou only appropriate for office jobs but not factory work. If it takes two hours to go to work then another two hours to return home plus the nine hours work is definitely pressing too much stress to our working class. Even worst if you think about the working students who could hardly get a full time sleep. (All the more reason for them to acquire two-wheelers. ACA) Sad but true, lesser time for family as well. When you toured Europe with a scooter in the early 60s, roads looks wider back then as there were few vehicles. (You obviously did not get to Europe in 1961 or ever. Even then, parking was already a problem in the major cities because of the number of cars on the road, which you can see in European films of the 60s and 70s. But the Europeans had the foresight to keep their electric tram systems, unlike the foolish Americans [and their inveterate Filipino copycats] who tore up the tracks of their pre-war trams, to make room for the automobile. ACA) Nonoy Ramos, (by email), Pennsylvania, July 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony This is a very relevant article and we really pray for more people thinking out of the box. Motorcycles will be the way to go and we can see that cycle swarms are now in almost all major avenues in and out of Metro Manila.However the problems brought about in terms of safety has been all but neglected by this government both national and local. The accidents are piling up and why? Just observe any busy intersection.it seems the LTO doesnt care,the traffic aides dont care,the motorcyclers dont care.Its chaos. No law is implemented and it seems its to each his/her own.A stop sign is not for cyclers, (In the Philippines, STOP signs are not followed even by those driving cars, jeepneys, buses. ACA) No overtaking is not for cyclers, ourtesy on the road is not for cyclers,etc etc (The same with other motorists, not just motorcyclists. ACA).. Do we need special traffic cops just to discipline the cyclers? for their own good?pity small school children riding at the back of Tatay or Kuya. Many will die with their helmets on or off. This is a very relevant issue for many government agencies to address. Riding safely is a must. ! Eric Manalang, (by email), July 11, 2008 Ang Kapatiran Party wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I'm a regular reader of your columns at tapatt.org. I love your work. They are highly insightful and elegantly written. Mabuhay po kayo!! Sincerely, Rino Jay Achas, (by email), Raleigh, North Carolina, July 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Mang Tony, This morning, I just paid a 28% fare increase to a bus conductor from San Pedro, Laguna to Ayala bus station, from P46 to P59. I stopped driving from San Pedro to Ayala when the gasoline hit P40 a liter. I would spend about P400 to P500 a day then, inclusive of toll fees (sans the skyway) and parking fee around Salcedo Village. Now it will cost me about P700 to P800, depending on traffic condition. I am driving an AUV as I can't afford an SUV or V6 besides the fact that I joined a campaign against SUV in city streets. Before the fare increase, I was spending P120 for tricycle, bus, jeepney and v.v., way cheaper plus the benefit of either a one-hour sleep inside the bus or reading a new book. Driving, besides the cost, you have to deal with bumper-to-bumper traffic even in the so-called South Wxpressway and those very "disciplined" and "courteous" drivers, so everyday I am already spent even before I start working. With the fare increase, I calculated and it will be from P120 a day to P154, and I was thinking whether to buy a Cherry or an Alto, as they claim to beat about 20km/liter that will need me only three liters a day from San Pedro to Ayala, or about P180. Unfortunately, toll and parking fee are the same regardless the size of the car, that will still be 180 + 140 (toll, 2-way)+ 120 parking = P440, compared with P154, still quite a sum. For me this is manageable as I usually have to do it only half every month as I am usually out of the country for the other half, with the company paying all expenses in exchange of usual 12 hours work when being out there somewhere around Asia. Last year, I went to Japan, my first time, and was surprised to see most of the people driving a 1.1 engine cars only. I was looking for those Camry's, Fortuner and Land Cruisers that they are selling in Malaysia, China, Thailand and of course the Philippines. And what a joy to ride the bullet train from Hiroshima to Osaka in just about two and a half hours. That was Manila-Samar and I don't know how long is the land travel here. Early this year, I was in San Francisco, California and it was an OOOHHH, here are the big cars, which makes Manny Pacquiao's Cheyenne an ordinary one. These cars traverse interstate highways compared to the bullet train of Japan. Clearly, you can see the difference in efficient energy consumption. My neighbor drives a motorbike from home to work in Las Pinas, and so I also thought about that once. He claimed that a full tank of gas will last the whole week for him, about four liters. I was reading and hearing statistics about motorbike accidents. One time I was in an emergency room of a hospital in Muntinlupa to take my feverish son, there were two men lying there which the nurses told me were involved in motorbike accident, plus she said, the two seemed to be drunk. These things make me think twice about my options. In Vietnam, it is really a joy to watch the millions of motorbike which usually occupy a four-lane road for a stretch of two kilometers during rush hours. Wow! During lean traffic time, observe two motorbikes side-by-side lazily traversing the road, one driven by a male and the other by a young female. Yes! he is courting her while driving. Motorbike is a way of life in Vietnam. In every household, each adult family member usually owns a motorbike. Young lady students though can still be found on bicycles. The government makes it safe for this people driving motorbikes as four-wheeled vehicles are only limited to 40kph. The outer lane of a two lane road is usually designated to motorbike while the inner lane is for the four- wheels. I hoped that our local government, or the MMDA for that matter, consider the Vietnam model. This can be handled by MMDA as it has the authority now over MegaManila which stretches down including San Pedro. If there will be a lane designated for motorbikes from San Pedro to Metro Manila, I will buy that motorbike right away. Edilberto Anit, (by email), July 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Makes good sense. Spread the word. Good luck. Lourdes Ceballos, (by email), July 11, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Your suggestion of increasing the number of motorcycles on the roads of Metro-Manila fills me with alarm. Having driven around the Paranaque and Taguig area last year I witnessed a motorcycle accident nearly every day. Increasing the degree of motorcycle use could only be justified as a form of population control - as it would lead to carnage. Filipino habits and attitudes are entirely unsuited to this precarious form of transport. Filipino bikers are nihilistic anarchists who refuse to wear crash-helmets, carry their entire families on a single machine. (Not true. A cursory survey of motorcyclists in Metro Manila would show that most of them wear helmets and carry no passengers. ACA) (Have you been to Ho Chi Minh City? They have four million bikers and, until 2008, almost all of them did not wear helmets. They have not managed to exterminate themselves. ACA) and, in total disobedience to Catholic teaching, wilfully attempt suicide at every available opportunity. I fear your suggestion would turn SLEX into a river of blood Regards.. Tom Hewitt, (by email), July 11, 2008 (You exaggerate, of course. I have been living continuously � except for occasional sojourns abroad - in Paranaque since 1976, with business responsibilities in Makati, Greenhills and Loyola Heights, Quezon City until 1988. During these 32 years, I have seen maybe five, six or seven � maybe ten -motorcycle accidents. The last one I personally witnessed was during Typhoon Milenyo in The Fort in 2006, involving two motorcycles. [See my article PAG_ASA is Hope? of Oct. 02, 2006]. They did not hit, nor were they hit by, other vehicles. They were blown down by the strong wind, and the riders ran for their lives, leaving their bikes sprawled in the middle of the intersection. My personal driver [since the year 2000] rides a motorcycle to and from his house in Cainta. He has not been in any accident [knock on wood!]. (But I regularly watch TV Patrol on Channel 2, where they gleefully report all kinds of accidents and violence all over Metro Manila. Motorcycle accidents are mentioned about once a week, and in almost all cases, the accidents happen past midnight, the riders and victims were not wearing crash helmets, and he/they were driving under the influence of alcohol. The overwhelming majority of bikers ride before midnight, wear crash helmets and do not ride under the influence of alcohol. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I think you shd think more of the "cons" of any proposal rather that just all the "pros," as your recent article on bikes seem to have manifested. Here are some of the "cons" that enthusiastic promoters of bike use in MM have overlooked: 1. Usually it's extremely hot in Manila. Commuters usually travel long distances - from far-off subdivisions in QC, Novaliches, Malabon. Wd the middle class, even the lower part of it, be receptive to your proposal, barring dire circumstances? And what about all the black smoke they'd inhale from buses & jeeps & the less visible exhausts from cars - esp. at intersections where vehicles idle. Going thru MM twice a day in these conditions wd be like trips to Hades, not to speak of the grime & sweat , side-sweeping jeeps, cabs & even buses that you'd encounter. Try it once yourself, Tony. 2. If it's not the heat, there are many days w/ hard rain & flooding. What will the flooding do to your bike? Cd you report to work dripping wet? You'd then have to wear rain-wear plastic trousers & a tight jacket. What wd those baggy trousers do to your pedalling? And what about women? And do you expect people to go thru those floods that they know carry all sorts of things unspeakable? (On the 35 or so days, out of 365, that it floods, just leave the two-wheeler at home and take public transport. If it floods while you are in the office, just leave the two-wheeler in the office and take public transport. Why is that such a problem? ACA) Ignaz, [email protected], July 12, 2008 (If you are going to think of all the cons or negative things that can happen to you on a two-wheeler, why stop there? (In the event of a tsunami from Manila Bay, people on two wheelers can be swept away into the water more easily than people inside cars, taxis and buses. In the event of a magnitude 7.9 earthquake, people on motorbikes can be killed by falling debris the size of a basketball. People inside cars, taxis and buses will survive, unless the falling debris is the size of a jeep. In the event of a Martian invasion, people on motorcycles can more easily be beamed up to the aliens' space ships, than people inside cars, taxis and buses. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, As a foreigner with a Filipino family, I experienced World War II as well as the time after. Meaning, our evolution from two-wheelers to the modern crowded highways with cars. And after the war, I worked in a factory which produced bicycles, scooters, motorbikes and up to cars and trucks. I really can tell that the motorbike and scootrer time has been the most amazing time, no matter that it has been suffering the weather conditions, hot, rainy or snowy. Now, car drivers insult each other for pushing through kilometers of stalled traffic, while in the 60ies scooter- and motorbike drivers greeted each other when using the same brand. But times have changed, not even for the better. r. . About the fuel price, oh yes, there would be a drastic remedy if the leading governments really would want it. It is only, they just talk about but enjoy the rising tax money. If those governments would buy in a concerted action a reserve for about 5..6 months, then impose rationing fuel and refuse to buy fuel if the price is not down at least 30%, then the speculation with its price driving Future Contracts would have to buy at their contracted high price but could not sell anymore. The same would happen to the oil companies that permanent report losses they have to recover but the report highest profits in their history. Neither OPEC nor the big companies could survive a selling stop for six or more months. If in addition some speculators and managers of the companies would be charged with economic sabotage, we could very soon enjoy a price level like 5 years ago. With 6 months reserves and rationing, the buying boycott could last near one year, making producers and suppliers begging for orders. The same could work for some price-exploding other goods and foods. But it's just a dream, since it would deprive politicians from kickbacks from those who make the super-windfall profits. 250 Dollar a barrel and 100 Pesos a liter fuel brings a much bigger profit than a barrel of oil for 50 Dollars and a liter fuel for 25 Pesos. Even governments, OPEC and oil companies make billions of profit even at these prices. That is why nobody asks the companies why they immediately increase pump prices if crude increases at the spot market where anyway they do not buy. The crude that is refined now has been bought many months earlier at much lower prices, this long way has been used by the companies to explain why they cannot lower pump prices immediately if crude went down. Just let us think and dream of Venezuela, where the government locally sells gasoline at only few US cents per gallon to avoid political unrest.... Regards to you. Kurt Setschen, (by email), Switzerland, July 12, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Being a biker myself, I was very pleased to read your article. In case you might not be aware, there is a very informative local web-site, www.motorcyclephilippines.com with plenty of discussion forums, from technical issues to legal issues. One very long-term topic has been the one related to motorcycle ban on the limited access highways, like SLEX, NLEX etc. Please take a look on this topic, you can find lots of information in the specific forum "Motorcycle Rights and Legal Questions" as well as in the section The Freeway Battles and Supreme Court Decision on the main page. There are some elements in the society who clearly want to make biking as difficult as ever possible in this country; both on LGU and national level. Various limitations for back riders, some streets closed for bikes, displacement limit for the highways etc. Just take a look, you can see how lively discussions there are; unfortunately only a small part of the biking community has access to all that information. So even if affordable bikes, scooters start to be available, it is not so easy to use them in a safe manner. Though motorcycle safety riding courses are available, very small part of the actual bikers do opt to enroll, and as you know, practically anyone can get that extra restriction on the driver's license to allow you to use a bike. Without real tests or so. Oh well, so many issues... In the August 2008 issue of Cycle World - magazine, there is an article titled "Fuel economy, anyone?" by Kevin Cameron. Try to get this magazine, the article is not fully relevant for the Philippines, but it has few interesting points. If you cannot find it anymore, please let me know and I can scan / email you the story. BR Simo Hoikka, (by email), July 12, 2008 Nokia Philippines wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Raising crude oil prices would have a positive effect on how people use energy. It awakens the world to conserve and drive people to seek available alternative sources of energy. As prices are dictated by supply and demand, reduced demand will force prices to decelerate. In the Philippines one may find buses using CNGs whose fuel cost is less than half of gas or diesel. Maybe it is time for the Philippines to designate also a bicycle and motorbike lane as well as high occupancy vehicle lane and longer distances between bus and jeepney stops; Filipinos must learn how to walk longer for health's sake! (Easier said than done if you live in Marikina and work in Makati. ACA) Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email), New York City, July 12, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww TONY, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME. HERE IN METRO WASHINGTON DC ALL BUT THE VERY AFFLUENT AND THOSE WHO LIVE TOO FAR, ARE COMMUTING BY BUS AND METRO. WHEN SOME OF THEM TIRE OF THE RIGID SCHEDULES THEY MUST KEEP, A FEW WILL START LOOKING FOR MOTORIZED TWO-WHEELERS AS A FLEXIBLE ALTERNATIVE. JUST LOOK AT OUR ROADS AND COUNT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE DRIVING ALONE. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO WASTE ALL THAT FUEL. OUR LACK OF EFFICIENT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WAS ENGINEERED BY DETROIT. IN THE EARLY 50'S THE BIG 3 BOUGHT THE ENTIRE TRAM SYSTEM OF LOS ANGELES AND PROMPTLY SHUT IT DOWN TO FORCE PEOPLE TO BUY CARS. THEY ALSO LOBBIED THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO DIVERT PUBLIC FUNDS TO FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION. NOW LOS ANGELES HAS TO CRAWL BACK TO IT'S ROOTS BECAUSE IF PEOPLE CAN'T FIND A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE TO COMMUTING, THEY CAN'T MAKE IT TO WORK. THE AMERICAN IS BEWILDERED THAT HE CAN NO LONGER SATISFY HIS GREED IN ANY ENDEAVOR HE PURSUES. IT IS AN EPIPHANY. INSTANT GRATIFICATION IS NO LONGER THE NORM WHICH MIGHT AS WELL BE DOOM AND GLOOM FOR HIM. RIGHT NOW THE LEADERS HERE ARE AGONIZING ABOUT THE IMMENSE TRANSFER OF WEALTH WHICH COMES WITH A TRANSFER OF POWER AS WELL. BUT ARE THEY THINKING OF LONG TERM FIXES? HELL NO! THEY CAN'T HELP BUT BE WHO THEY ARE, THE QUINTESSENTIAL MEDICINE MEN CUM CARPET BAGGERS. IF FILIPINOS HAVE TO EAT HUMBLE PIE, THESE ANGLO SAXONS WILL HAVE TO EAT HUMBLE CAKE. LYNN, [email protected], Washington, DC, July 12, 2008 LSGH68 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Let's ask MMDA to create bicycle lanes for safety. When that happens, I'm pretty sure we can be another Ho Chi Minh City. Rue Ramas, (by email), Gen. Santos City., July 12, 2008 (I did not notice any bicycle lanes in HCMC, the two-wheelers being just so many. Two-wheelers stay on the right side of the road, except when they are preparing to turn left, and four-wheelers stay on the left. There is a bus network along the main roads, with modern air-conditioned Atlantic-type buses and roofed designated bus stops of uniform modern design. But few commuters patronize the buses since most families seem to own two-wheelers. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww With the continuous increases of fuel prices, our government has not yet initiated any good alternatives on fuel cost reduction or alternate fuel sourcing! Instead, Gloria.Arroyo has from time to time, in her TV press releases, defends the continues implementation of EVAT, which as a matter of fact INCREASES ALL COSTS of goods and services. She should be honest that once EVAT is removed or reduced to 5%, all goods and fuel costs will also be reduced, and that all Filipino citizens will gain from this. Siguro, hindi naman bobo si G.Arroyo o mga cabinet members sa DOE, DOST, o mga senators at congressmen. Bakit kaya ayaw nilang alisin o ameyendahin ang Oil Deregulation Law? Bakit kaya ayaw nilang e-regulate ang fuel costs? Bakit kaya pare-pareho ang mga fuel prices sa mercado, kasama na rin yong nga small players na nag-e-import.Pare-parehas kaya ang Production costs ng Shell, Petron, at Caltex, at Flying V, that they all have the same prices? At yong mga finished product importers of fuel, bakit parehas pa rin ang prices nila sa mga major players? DOE or government has to check this up. Pero kung bobo nga sila o nagbobo-boboan, talagang hindi na sila karapat dapat sa mga posisyon nila, kasi hindi na sila makapagsilbi sa bayan kasi hindi na nila iniisip ang interes ng mg Pilipino. There are indeed many fuel alternatives that our government can initiate. The same with alternative transports like those mentioned by A.Abaya in his enclosed article. However, government should take the initiative, and give support to the inventors of such alternatives. Such alternatives are: Solar energy, Wind Energy, use of fuel cells, use of electric jeeps as presented in our local TV(cost can be affordable with government's support). Also, the device using water as fuel which was presented by a Filipino inventor, a certain Mr. Inggel? Our Government should have supported this as this makes use of Hydrogen which is a byproduct of water hydrolysis. Re mass transport, trains should be rehabilitated, especially the PNR, and LRT and MRT. Marami kasi researches ng mga senators, at congressmen, pati research budget.. sana magresearch din sila para sa kabutihan natin. Avelino Lagman, Jr., (by email), July 15, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Reactions to various articles Hi Tony, Here are some of my "archived" feelings on current issues: Politicians who endorse commercial produicts, or, one's self, either have simply lost their self respect, or, have a myopic view of their "honorable" positions in the government. To claim that the activity of the commercial endorsers was for added income is absolute hipocrisy especially, when one recalls the Statement of Assets and Liabilities that they submitted. As for Manny Villar's "charity" in saving the 7 OFW's, brandishing his act lost the quality of his mercy. True charity is done inconspiciously and without the need for publicity. Ponce Enrile's outburst gave out the fly alighting on a carabao. That is the real him, unmasked. High fuel costs simply eliminated those with propensity to own a car just for show. It is a habit among many of us to measure one's economic standing with car ownership, so many try to own a car first before a house.. Now, there is a noticeable reduced number of private vehicles on the road. We should adopt price controls on fuel if we have to divert savings into investment capital. Next thing the government should do is to expand mass transportation systems that strictly operate on regular schedules. This will help very much in reducing national fuel consumption as well as saving lost man-hours waiting for traffic to move on. Commonwealth Avenue from University Avenue up to before Batasan has been greatly widened. Yet it still has choke points for the simple reason that jeepney drivers do not know, or find it difficult to turn their steering wheel to the right to load and unload passengers. Jeepneys do their business three abreast, thus effectively narrowing the roadway. Also at Santolan in Pasig, and I observe, almost everywhere, the MMDA enforcers either do not know their jobs, are afraid to enforce the law, are plain lazy, or are at the receiving ends of the tong practices. The head or heads of the MMDA should take to the road and make observations to improve traffic flow. There is a rule about passengers hanging at the rear of jeepneys. This is a very dangerous practice among jeepney drsivers but they do it for added income. These passengers pay just as ju8ch as the sitting passengers. Penalty for iolation is P150.00. The practice goes on unperturbed all along main roadways. Watch Ortigas Avenue, four to five people could be seen hanging at the back of fast running jeepneys specially during peak hours. MMDA enforcers are simply hiding behind the trees at the corner of Ortigas and Lanuza. What are they there for? Those concrete traffic barriers have caused numerous accidents because it no longer visible at night time. They are without reflectorized stripes, and are even covered with grime. Yet, the hog fences on traffic islands are noticeably attended to by scores of laborers dusting each strand of the fence. Why not maintain the concrete barriers consistently by making it always visible to motorists? In the USA, the authorities are open to civil and criminal liabilities for neglect of public facilities that cause accidents. I think we should adopt this policy to keep the authorities on their toes. The constitutional prohibition that exempts the government from suit without its consent needs some attention. In my opinion, this provision was meant for something else, not for criminal negligence. Shipping containers on board trucks are supposed to be locked into the truck's bed. That is the reason for the apertures on the four lower corners of each shipping container. Our transportation authories should enforce such safety measures for public safety. Containers have fallen off trucks and such accidents will continue to occur endangering the public. Do we have a government office that supervises and enforces industrial safety? If so, are they doing their jobs? Motorcyles should be equipped with twin smaller headlights if only to distinguish them from cars with a blinded headlight. One could drive headon with a car with only one head light, mistaking that single headlight as from a motorcycle. MMDA's traffic enginneers (are they?) should re-study traffic flow, convenience and costs to the motoring public when they move, or erect U-turn slots. Costs here mean, fuel cost to the motorist, and man -hours lost driving to a far-off U-turn slot. Traffic flow means where do most motorist need to make a U-turn Do we have traffic enforcers? traffic lanes? Laws and regulations to enforce? Many years back, I remember, a pedestrian was killed crossing Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo outside of the pedestrian lane. The motorist was acquitted faulting the victim to suffer for violating the law. I have not heard of another case like this. It is always the driver at fault. It is high time that pedestrians are made to suffer the consequences of taking risks against the rules and regulations. Edmundo Ledesma, (by email), Cainta, Rizal, July 07, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww All reactions to [email protected]. Tony on YouTube may be watched at www.tapatt.org. 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