Traffic

The "Ber" months have begun, ushering in the long Filipino Christmas season. Festive lights and decorations are starting to brighten up malls and public spaces.

- JOE ZALDARRIAGA

However, for Metro Manila residents and workers, this also signals the onset of even heavier traffic than usual.

It is indeed that time of the year when extra minutes, or even hours of travel time are added to daily commutes. On top of the usual work and appointments, more people head out for shopping, gatherings and holiday events. The surge in vehicles on the road often leads to longer travel times and increased frustration for commuters.

Case in point is my nearly three-hour drive from Pasig to Makati last week. For context, the drive takes around an hour on a typical day - accounting for traffic already. It wasn't even a Friday to begin with, but it was easily one of the worst traffic gridlocks I had ever experienced.

The horrendous ordeal made me realize that while there has been progress in addressing our traffic problem, it cannot be denied that the situation remains far from ideal. Just the thought of EDSA's traffic saddens and frustrates me, as it underscores the countless hours Filipinos spend stuck on the road-time that could be better spent on more productive and meaningful activities elsewhere.

Sadly, the terrible traffic situation in Metro Manila is not exaggerated.

Earlier this year, news reports revealed that Metro Manila claimed the top spot for worst traffic congestion among 387 metro areas across 55 countries, based on the 2023 TomTom Traffic Index.