Christmas is in the air – and so is heavy traffic. And that traffic, unfortunately, is killing Christmas.
For decades, Lagunenses and Filipinos in general seemed to have accepted traffic jams at malls and other public spaces as the price they have to pay for letting off steam and having fun with family and friends during the holiday season.
Yet the “carmaggedon” motorists experienced in certain parts of the province during the past weekend is a nightmare very few Lagunenses have expected.
Motorists have taken to social media to complain, for instance, that heavy traffic along the National Highway in Calamba City has spilled over to nearby Los Baños. Both areas, incidentally, are considered to be two of the province’s top tourist destinations.
The “carmaggedon” Lagunense motorists are now enduring is both a symptom and a consequence of rampant corruption and short-sightedness in our government.
Major infrastructure projects, particularly in the transport sector, that should have provided Lagunenses with fast, efficient and convenient travel are still years from completion.
Meanwhile, a combination of short-sightedness and a “car-centric culture” that has taken root among our government officials means that Filipinos are looking into buying cars just to get around.
The result? More cars on the road – and traffic slows to a crawl.
Unfortunately, this “carmaggedon” will only slow our economy down even more, particularly as business experts have predicted that the Philippines’ stormy political climate will impact on our economic growth.
Heavy traffic is bound to spoil whatever holiday cheer Filipinos may still feel as they struggle to celebrate Christmas and New Year in these challenging times.
Merry Christmas? For those stuck for hours in traffic, it’s more like “hu-hu-hu” than “ho-ho-ho.”
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