Up up and away!
If you got gas last Friday, you’re one of the lucky ones. Gas prices once again went up Saturday midnight to bring the average prices up P1.50.
If you’ve followed my previous post on gas prices this brings Manila gas prices to $4.68 a gallon. Now that is way more than the prices in the U.S.
I am thankful that I drive a economical car that can go 30km per liter if I drive well enough or at least two weeks till the next visit to the gas station.
But with gas prices going up, commuter fares are bound to increase in the next few weeks. Are we feeling the pain of not building an efficient mass transportation system?
We are turning into another Los Angeles, where everyone must have a car to get around the city. Most middle class would rather drive a car than get stuck in the inefficiency of our public transportation. Taxi cabs, buses and jeepneys are all privately owned overcrowding the streets.
If the traffic situation wasn’t as bad as it is today, would the gas prices hurt as much? If Filipinos actually learned how to drive properly, would we have better gas mileage? I think so. But until the country learns how to follow street rules and regulations, they will have to contend with rising transportation costs for their motorvehicles.
