The aim of the race was simple: establish the fastest and cheapest way of getting around the Metro. The project "would also provide the public with baseline data for comparing the costs and travel time of the various modes of transportation in the metropolis of some 12 million people."
Honestly, for a constant metro traveler like me, the answer is so simple: without a doubt, the light rail transit system is the sure winner! It costs only Php 15 from end to end in airconditioned comfort ("comfort" is a relative term here and it doesn't apply to MRT 3).
Anyway, I suppose what the Philippine Daily Inquirer's The Rush-Hour Commute Challenge really wanted to establish is a scientific proof that this is so so they let loose several teams all over the metro to take the trains, bus, jeepney, a private car and cab. Not surprisingly, Team Jeepney came in last. In Manila, the jeepneys there take their sweet time. Napaka-walang sense of urgency! In Marikina, Laguna and Antipolo, however, one has to hold on to the railings for dear life because the jeepneys hardly touch the roads - they are already flying! Is this enough proof that jeepneys should be phased out of Philippine roads and replaced with more fuel-efficient buses? I hope so. Let's give up that old, cranky thing! It should go the way of the calesa - put them on specialized routes if only for the eyes of the tourists.
let's wait for the results of the Wednesday race. Follow the race here.
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