Marikina City Rep. Bayani Fernando says that the only way to tame the notorious colorum buses ruling the highways of Metro Manila is too burn them to a crisp.
The former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chief from 2002 to 2009 said that granting emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte is not the solution to the country’s traffic woes.
According to him, a more drastic action is needed.
“Burn the bus immediately. When you don’t, you will find that bus plying the roads again,” he said in a report by the Manila Bulletin.
Fernando added that the current PHP1-million fine is not enough for bus companies to stop operating colorum buses.
Fernando urged the government to explore the power of eminent domain and expropriation of properties, which will allow them to take private property like gated subdivisions, for public use.
He said that President Duterte, who already has all the powers he needs, does not need to wait for the emergency powers sought by the Department of Transportation.
Fernando’s suggestions? Maximize the use of roads, enforce “no parking on the road,” and impose hefty fines on illegally parked vehicles.
Only the MMDA has the capability to manage the traffic congestion in the metropolis, he added.
