While it may look very similar, Bangkok’s transportation management is worlds apart. PHOTO BY FRANK SCHUENGEL
We recently traveled to Thailand, where we had the opportunity to witness firsthand the traffic in and around Bangkok, the country’s capital. We discovered some intriguing similarities and differences with Metro Manila.
Quite busy but polite. Although Bangkok’s traffic can be congested, particularly during rush hour, there aren’t many parallels between this city and Metro Manila beyond that.
Behind the wheel, people seem to be much more polite and relaxed here. There are plenty of spaces in the traffic, even during peak hours, unlike in Metro Manila, where it would be impossible to squeeze a single peso coin between the car in front and the one behind it.
Better lane discipline, observance of traffic laws, and a pleasantly conspicuous absence of human enforcers at every intersection are all present. Though far superior to our own city, it’s far from perfect. I sincerely don’t know why there seem to be so many hotheads in the Philippines on the road, and I wish Metro Manila was like this.
Sounds? What sound? Bangkok has remarkably quiet roads for a busy Asian megacity. There aren’t any jeepneys with exhausts shaped like Jericho trumpets, no buses making a loud announcement of their arrival, and very few people honking their horns.
Bangkok’s roads have a soundtrack that is positively serene in comparison to Metro Manila’s insane cacophony. This is so quiet that you could put it on a CD and market it as a meditation track. LGUs in the Philippines, listen up!
EV usage is growing. Advertisements for electric vehicles can be found everywhere you look. Thailand is currently being heavily targeted by mostly Chinese brands. Though they aren’t very common yet, EVs are still visible on the road.
It appears that BYD is well-represented here. Even though it’s just as hot and muggy as it is at home, the air feels much cleaner here. That is most likely due to both functional and appropriately enforced vehicle emission regulations as well as EVs.
They play pickup like pros. You’ll see a lot of these cars on our roads as well. But Thai drivers are in a different league than Filipinos when it comes to pickup trucks.
It’s amazing how people here make the most out of these vehicles by putting enormous cargo bays on the back of these dependable cars. With a Hilux, who needs a heavy-duty truck?
An excellent subway has a profound impact. Bangkok traffic is still a problem; rush hour there can resemble our shores’ never-ending metal avalanche. However, you can at least take the subway in the capital of Thailand to get away from it.
It’s a cheap, clean, modern subway. Additionally, data coverage and a full mobile signal are included. I am eagerly awaiting the launch of Metro Manila’s underground train in the coming years, and I sincerely hope that the designers will learn from and incorporate the best features from other metro systems across the world.
Overground adjustments will also be needed for Metro Manila. As I discovered in Bangkok and numerous other cities, a subway is only completely functional if people can walk to it with ease. Sadly, sidewalks are frequently overlooked in the Philippines; hopefully, this project will address this.
Among them are boats. Even though the majority of the boats speeding up and down Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River are packed with tourists, they nevertheless contribute significantly to the city’s transportation system. One that would be simple to greatly expand throughout Metro Manila.
By now, anything that gets people off the road and out of cars has to be good, and for both commuters and tourists, a breezy ferry ride up and down the Pasig River might be just the thing.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be very popular. Thankfully, Metro Manila is now moving in the right direction and adding more and more bike lanes. However, it appears that there aren’t many two-wheelers driven by people in Bangkok, and there aren’t many designated bike lanes. Perhaps there is less of a need to move around by using physical strength because the metro system is so expansive and contemporary.
In summary, Bangkok evokes visions of the metropolis that Metro Manila might become if it were to finally get its act together.
References
visor.ph
