Amid the impending traffic hell that will be encountered by motorists for at least two years, government officials are proposing a car-less day in EDSA.
While most Metro Manila cities already implement number coding, there are still certain hours where “coded” vehicles can still ply the roads, dubbed “window hours.” Under the proposed scheme, however, the window hours will be eliminated (such as in Makati and Las Pinas), which means the car owner can’t use his vehicle for virtually one whole day.
If implemented, will this provision impact the vehicle sales in the country?
Last month, auto companies posted a decade-high in sales. Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) revealed that its member-companies sold 15,642 units last month, increasing from 12,303 units in the same month last year.
According to CAMPI President Rommel Gutierrez, the month of January has always been a slow month as it comes on the heels of a hectic sales period during the holiday season. “If the January sales performance is an indication of things to come, we can expect another record setting year as the industry gears up for more new product launches and bigger activities, such as the much awaited 5th Philippine International Motor Show in September,” Gutierrez said.
However, if the government pushes thru with the car-less day, will Pinoys still be encouraged to buy brand new vehicles?
Globally, a number of countries are already implementing this scheme, or are planning to. Germany, known for its love for cars, is studying ways to eliminate autos by 2034. There are already a handful of car-free communities around the world, but they’re typically small and often focused on tourists seeking a quaint throwback in time. Examples include Michigan’s Mackinac Island or Sark island off the English Channel coast of the U.K.; perhaps the largest is Venice, which simply has no way to open up roads linking its network of small islands.
Meanwhile, Beijing, Shanghai and some other Chinese cities, have been enacting rules to reduce the number of new vehicles that can be sold and registered.
The idea of banning, or at least reducing, the use of automobiles in city centers has become an increasingly hot topic among urban planners, as countries deal with issues as diverse as congestion and smog. According to a new study by IHS Automotive and Groupe Futuribles, congestion will cause annual auto sales to be trimmed by 30 million vehicles annually by 2035.
However, according to website CarFree.com, simply banning automobiles won’t be a quick fix. “The challenge is to remove cars and trucks from cities while at the same time improving mobility and reducing its total costs,” it says.
How about you, Kapuso? Do you think car-less day will be the key to eliminate traffic congestion in our streets?
