Coping with the fuel crisis
By NIMROD NL QUIÑONES
The huge jump in the price of fuel has doubled the anxiety of motorists, who are not only worried about being late when caught in traffic but also start counting the cost of fuel that is being burned while stationary.
While there is nothing we can do about the war in in the Middle East, there are things that we can do to cope with the prevailing situation.
One is to plan our trips. We now avoid doing those unnecessary runs to the supermarket or the convenience store that is not so close to where we are. We can do away with sudden urges to just drive somewhere without a real plan as to what you will do or where you’ll go.
We schedule several chores during our trips so we accomplish more with each trip. We carpool and reduce the number of vehicles on the road and the amount of fuel being used.
Those who can afford it, are buying electric vehicles or hybrids, which is a topic that we will leave to experts to discuss.
For those who cannot afford to buy new vehicles, the options are wiser travel and commuting using public transportation, which is quite inconvenient if you are used to using your own vehicle to head somewhere.
While motorists can find ways and figure out adjustments, government must not just sit and do nothing.
Here are some things that the local government units can do:
First is to ensure that the traffic managers and policy-makers are doing their job. Proper traffic management shall help reduce problems that would impede the flow of traffic thus help lessen the cost of fuel for motorists.
Second is to disallow activities that could hamper traffic flow. These activities include parades, motorcades, putting up of tents or structures on the roads, even religious processions. The last might cause some debate due to tradition, but then this could be temporary while we face this crisis.
Government must also work on fixing potholes and removing road obstructions like structures protruding on the road.
While announcements have been made about LGUs addressing the fuel crisis, the leaders seem to have forgotten about the needed actions stated above.
We are all in this crisis together so we hope that we also do our share to help each other survive.
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