Philippine Transportation: Roaming with a Scooter

Heavy traffic used to be as seldom as ice hailstorms in the country. But today, light traffic is almost like a miracle in Philippine transportation. Heavy traffic has become a rule rather than an exception. But enter the scooter. Both motorists and commuters have discovered a new way of surmounting heavy traffic problems through the scooter, the latest fad in transportation.

Scooters have become a popular transportation option, not only on inner roads, but even on main avenues and highways. When going to the office, the mall, or making an inter-city trek, or just plain roaming around the vicinity or visiting the park, the scooter, as a new transportation alternative, has become a favorite among a growing number of people, in cities or in provinces.

The scooter is definitely cheaper transportation than a car or a van. It takes up less diesel or gasoline. It has lesser parts to maintain, repair, or replace in case of a breakdown. It is easier to troubleshoot. And in a worst scenario—in case of a breakdown in a major thoroughfare, this transportation vehicle is easy to push, or even carry, to a safer lane for repair. No need to worry about being towed.

Parking is never a problem. This transportation option needs a mere niche for a parking space. In fact, 12 scooters can be jam-packed in a car parking slot. This mini transportation is even more a wonder at home. Especially in today’s growing concern on availability of garages at home, owning a scooter is never a problem. Scooters can be parked right inside the living room or bedroom.

This road wonder of transportation is never daunted by any heavy traffic. No matter what traffic may be threatening out there, scooters can easily squeeze in and out of road jams and bottle necks. Some scooter motorists even use the sidewalks to bypass long queues of cars. Scooters may not be as fast as other posh cars on the road, but they are able to circumvent any Manila rush-hour heavy traffic. In that sense, they’re “faster” even than the fastest sports car in the world.

Finally, even on rainy days, this transportation vehicle is still on the go. By just cladding oneself in an armor of a raincoat overall and boots, the scooter driver can be back on the road as in sunny days.

This versatile Philippine transportation trend today, riding a scooter, seems to be the perfect transportation choice very compatible to the country’s declining traffic situation.