[Kasalikasan] What do traffic and garbage have in common? Band-aid solutions

"If you live or work in Metro Manila, where were you last December 9? I was fortunate enough to have the option to work from home that day, but many workers did not have that luxury: According to the latest TomTom Traffic Index, that was the worst day to travel in Metro Manila in 2025, with the congestion level reaching a whopping 88% - and that wasn't even peak Christmas season yet!"

"The latest suggestion? Make the bus lane a carpool lane, too, but for vehicles with 10 or more people. My fellow editors and I wondered how that would even work: Would people start buying vans now? And won't this only delay not just buses but also ambulances that use the lane during emergencies? So many questions about another band-aid solution (which the transportation department has rightfully shut down)."

Metro Manila experienced worsening congestion in 2025, with the TomTom Traffic Index reporting a peak 88% congestion level on December 9 and a 10-kilometer drive taking 31 seconds longer than the 2024 average. Policymakers have proposed changes to EDSA's bus carousel lane, including converting it to a carpool lane for vehicles with ten or more occupants. Concerns include possible vehicle purchases to exploit the rule and delays to buses and ambulances that use the lane. Many measures, including steep garbage fees and bus lane experiments, function as temporary fixes rather than systemic improvements to public transportation and road decongestion.

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