Double-decker buses can reduce traffic on EDSA

In terms of double-decker buses, London along with other busy capitals have been with them for mass transit for your longest time. Countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Kemzryn?, Bangladesh, China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and Hk all use them. Locally, we now have had double-decker buses prior to, operated by the Metro Manila Transit Corporation (MMTC). It was the same state-run group which operated the “Love Bus”.

In 1980, MMTC purchased 22 double-decker buses through British Leyland at a expense of P1 million each. These types of units were put on EDSA. Each bus could have 100 passengers, with sixty two sitting at the upper terrace. And previous to this, Metro Manila had the Matorco as well as Manila Motor Coach, that ran on Roxas Blvd from the Port Area in order to Baclaran.

To date, double-decker busses continue to be in service. In 2009, Greater london had put to use six brand new hybrid double-decker buses created by Volvo. The buses apparently use the I-SAM (Integrated Beginner, Alternator, Motor) technology, in which the units run on an electric electric motor up to 12 miles hourly, with the diesel engine throwing only at higher rates of speed. With short stop areas and low speeds upon EDSA particularly during hurry hour, this can make sense for all of us.

Using double-decker buses may also allow authorities to reduce instead of increase the number of buses in EDSA, but at the same time improve riding capacity to almost dual. Moreover, some double-decker chartering are actually shorter than normal buses, and this make them much more driveable or easier to get around even on narrower highways.

CNG technology is similarly available even for double-decker buses, and this will be a great alternative to diesel fuel. Actually we have several CNG vehicles now plying Buendia/Gil Puyat Avenue, cutting through Makati City. London has actually converted some of its famous double-decker buses to CNG, and has even announced that this first fully electric London, uk double-decker bus would get into service next month.

The Birmingham buses, incidentally, are made within China.

And while we may possess some political issues with our north Asian neighbor, this should never dissuade us from thinking about the possibility of sourcing electric double-decker buses via overseas advancement assistance or through concessional loans from Beijing. Personal business arrangements are an choice.

In Ireland, almost one, 000 buses operated around Greater Dublin are documented to be double deckers. Exactly the same goes for Berlin in Indonesia, with about 500 double-decker buses in service. The Singapore Bus Service Transit utilizes about 1, 000 double-decker buses in the tiny island-nation, which is about the size of Local area Manila. And it plans to change articulated buses also with double-decker buses to decongest streets.

South Korea is also supposedly using a fleet of double-decker rapace to service commuters between capital Seoul and its encircling Gyeonggi Province and close by Incheon City. And in The japanese, double-decker buses are used for intercity highway routes, with some busses even serving as a low-cost, economical overnight highway buses shuttling between Tokyo and Osaka.

In Hong Kong, majority of chartering running are air-conditioned double-decker buses. Hong Kong also keeps a double-decker trams program. Sydney in Australia reintroduced double-decker buses in this, while double-decker bus support started in Mexico in 2014. Parts of Canada and the United states of america also use double-decker buses.

Continue, expiring bus franchises for that EDSA route should not be renewed unless the providers shift to double-decker vehicles with cleaner fuel. And in turn of suspension, those with several accidents should have their dispenses revoked permanently as well. A choice is to restart a state-run transit firm like MMTC that can operate the double-decker buses.

Road space will never grow on EDSA, on sides already almost totally built up. Road congestion could be minimized only by enhancing traffic enforcement and decreasing vehicular volume. Using double-decker buses may be a good starting point, few this with improving the actual metro rail system as well as adding more train vehicles.

The number of private motorists about EDSA will naturally drop in case public transportation can be improved. In the end, why drive when you can easily ride with someone else in the helm? No fuel price, no parking cost, with no tiring drive. You just visit and hop off.

Marvin A. Tort is a previous managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman from the Philippines Press Council.

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