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Why is it that a lot of road repairs and diggings are undertaken at
the last moment, until almost the start of classes, and when the
onset of the rainy season would surely put the work off track?
Lately, a lot of these road diggings are done by
the water companies Manila Water and Maynilad, for pipe-laying and
for the improvement of waterworks and sewerage services. One can’t
argue with the noble intentions behind these repairs, but the
execution and timing, is another matter. It is very bad actually,
particularly for Maynilad.
A case in point would be the construction and
repairs of Maynilad along Singalong street, Manila, which closed the
entire street from the corner of Estrada to the corner of Pablo
Ocampo just before school began (there are a number of schools in
the Pablo Ocampo area, including St. Scholastica’s College and the
College of St. Benilde). Exactly a year ago, also just before the
school season started, Maynilad conducted a similar construction in
the street right next to Singalong, Arellano Street, and this also
caused traffic gridlock and became a huge inconvenience for
motorists, pedestrians and homeowners for several months. Now,
almost simultaneous to the Singalong street digging, the MWSI also
closed several portions of Leon Guinto and Pablo Ocampo, I assume,
for similar repairs.
These repairs, if they are preventive, are
poorly scheduled to say the least. It’s another matter if they are
emergency repairs that need to be undertaken right away, without a
choice whatsoever, but if they are preventive, why undertake them
just before school and the rainy season begin? Why not during the
months of summer vacation when traffic is a lot less heavy?
The Maynilad example I cited is just one of
many. I’m not just talking about repairs undertaken by the water
companies, but also by the local governments and the Department of
Public Works and Highways.
Lack of preventive maintenance—work that
should be done before there is an emergency, thereby leaving us with
no other choice but to ‘grin and bear it’, inconveniences and
all—is a problem that is as perennial as the rainy season itself.
Why do we have to wait until traffic becomes
heavier, until the rainy season starts? During a downpour most
repair work stops, or at least they have to be minimized. Cold
weather makes road repairs difficult and the presence of water tends
to increase road damage. The road has no bigger enemy than water.
Wet conditions bring up the cost of repairs, which eventually would
be passed on to the consumer or taxpayer.
Moreover, the rain creates dangerous conditions
for commuters, pedestrians and motorists. Open diggings are hazards,
of course. They’re not only traffic hazards but they put human
life at risk, especially when the areas are submerged in floodwater
during heavy downpours.
Couldn’t and shouldn’t there be better
preventive planning, for near-zero emergency upkeep—preventive,
meaning, checking for damages that need repair, while these are
minimal? Because whenever and wherever repairs are delayed, the
damage increases, and this ultimately leads to bigger repairs with
higher costs (again that are passed on to us).
I don’t have to tell the engineers who manage
these constructions of this fact. I’m pretty sure they are aware
of it but, whether it is because of lethargy and/or the lack of
direction on the part of their superiors, perhaps they can’t do
anything about it. In other cases though, it is the mediocre work of
engineers and subcontractors hired by the government or the water
companies that causes these drawn-out diggings and improper and
inefficient repairs.
If you want an example of a road digging and
construction work that caused the least inconvenience to motorists,
commuters and pedestrians, just take a look at how the underground
walkways were constructed in the central business district of Makati.
These underground (and even the overhead) pedestrian- and
traffic-friendly walkways that connect various avenues in the
central business district seem to have been constructed overnight
because during daytime the construction company operators made sure
that the roads were still passable. Work that would surely cause a
gridlock was done at night or after the peak hours of traffic.
If only all road or waterworks repair could be
conducted as efficiently.
ernestboyherrera@yahoo.com
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