MANILA – It’s a common observation at Christmas that traffic is lighter than the rest of the year, but in 2017, especially, the fact becomes a notable “gift” for many harried commuters and motorists.
When traffic is so bad that:
• global experts have updated their estimates of economic loss from Philippine traffic jams: from the oft-cited P2.4 billion to P4 billion;
• road-rage incidents have accounted for a rising share in accidents, street violence and viral stuff on social media;
• Congress was prodded to legislate work-from-home options for employers and employees in order to reduce the number of people and vehicles on streets and the productivity loss from long commutes;
• Anecdotal information on the number of people opting to retire early and go into more flexible modes of livelihood, invariably has them citing “the traffic was killing me!”
Then, maybe, just maybe, the one day in the year when streets could be as clear as the photo above, teaches why Christmas is God’s gift to everyone.
