I COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER ‘BARRIER‘ VICTIM
Yes, I could have been another statistic.
I could have been one of those poor souls added to the number in the recent flurry of accidents concerning the concrete barriers served to separate the new median bus lanes from the usual traffic lanes along EDSA.
Just last night, at around 9 p.m., I was passing along the Shaw Boulevard underpass when this big garbage truck running at 60kph I was following all of a sudden had to dodge a slab that was clearly in disarray, protruding and eating up a part of the lane of the regular vehicles. I had no choice but to dodge as well, missing the slab by just a hairline.
I could have been one of those poor souls.
Just imagine if I hit the estimated 2,000-pound slab that was sticking out — I could have bruised my forehead, lose a month’s salary fixing a broken left tire, bumper or windshield — or worse, be another hot trending topic on social media.
Thank God for flashy driving skills.
There are those who have been less fortunate of these barriers these past few months, however.
According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), there have been 18 accidents that have occurred along EDSA from 1 to 19 June alone — or an estimate of one accident per day — 16 of which involved vehicles crashing into the lane separators or concrete barriers. Majority of these occurrences happened at night even claiming the life of one motorcycle rider who smashed into one solid slab. Who knows, it probably might have been the same 2,000-pound slab I almost hit — if you come to think of it.
Personally, I agree with what the government is doing.
The MMDA, however, said that most of these accidents were self-induced. Meaning, they were brought about by either drunk-driving, over-speeding or distracted driving.
According to the Department of Transportation (DoTr), it has already “procured 36,000 concrete barriers, which will be established to segregate the bus lanes, located on the innermost lanes of EDSA, from the other lanes of the highway.”
“A total of 9,000 units will be initially delivered from 18 to 22 July 2020, while the other 27,000 units will be delivered in three parts (9,000 units each) every 15 days thereafter,” it added.
This probably explains the patchy installment of the concrete barriers along the thoroughfare — which is more prone to individual slabs being misaligned even with vehicles just slightly brushing them.
“The agency was able to cut down the expected delivery period from 155 days down to 72 days,” it further stated.
According to DoTr Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran, the government agency is targeting the completion of the barriers (solid and without patches) by end-September.
Just the other day — yours truly — together with a few senior colleagues in the motoring media was with them to personally check the government’s EDSA Bus Carousel program along the thoroughfare, wherein only 550 buses are being allowed to ply the route.
We were impressed with what we personally saw and experienced. From the safety and health protocols, smooth flow of traffic in the carousel route and the discipline being imposed to riders and bus drivers, everything was laudable. In fact, it only even took us one hour and 30 minutes to do a roundtrip from North EDSA bus station and back — which — on regular days in the past would cost us about three to four hours depending on traffic.
We were also personal witnesses to the 3.2 to 3.5 meter wide bus lane — which was of international standards.
Personally, I agree with what the government is doing in augmenting the traffic situation through the separate bus lane.
But, don’t get me wrong. At the back of my mind, there’s a part of me that says accidents will — and — are bound to happen anywhere in our streets. With more than 350,000 motorists who pass EDSA every day, there is definitely a higher risk of road accidents occurring here compared to most roads in our country.
With EDSA’s notoriety and the kind of driver discipline we have here, the law of physics clearly tells us that there is lesser impact when one is hit or hits a 10-pound orange-colored cone or a 300-pound plastic barrier — as compared to a 2,000-lb concrete barrier.
Thinner and more lightweight bollards — I recently heard — would now be used as well. These — I believe — are way safer.