finally, after so much hype about the new traffic lights, and its horrible initial attempt to rule the streets last dec 9, davao city now has a classy working LA-based traffic system. The traffic lights are software synchronised which means that they automatically run on their own (given a supply of electricity of course). The density of flow of traffic for each intersection had already been plugged in into these high-tech black boxes such that the time for the color shifts are defined according to the number of cars that passes through each lane.
another interesting feature of the traffic system here is the installation of push button pedestrian capability. if you want to cross the street, all you have to do is push the button, your signal is fed up into the computer, the lights analyse it and finally, the green goes red, and the hand turns into a walking man. sleek, isn’t it?
however, because of this new traffic system, pedestrians now can’t just go strutting their butts anywhere when crossing the streets. they have to really cross using the pedestrian lanes or else they’d be paying a fine for jaywalking. would Php 500 be a worthwhile bet? i don’t think so.
And the autmobiles of course are also subject to much traffic management control. at present, many drivers have been warned to follow strict rules although i am not sure if they’ve started confiscating the licenses. As a result, the automobiles have behaved themselves that at the light of the red blotch, cars really saw to it that they are beyond the pedestrian marks and that they get in line to one of the four distinct lanes (you would appreciate this better if you are on top of a high-rise building such as the finster in ateneo).
and if you think all these things are bringing in curses from the people, nah-ah. surprisingly, almost everyone, pedestrians and drivers alike, seem to be enjoying this new found classy street attitude. although it would still take a few more weeks or months maybe before davaoenos would finally adopt this as a habit, such a change is but a bright light ahead.
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