And so goes Alanis Morisette’s take on irony, a rather stretched version of the word’s true definition. Traffic jam or as we pinoys love to call it — traffic — is perhaps one of the major contributors to the shortened life expectancy of the Manila resident. Going to and from Makati during rush-hour is punishment enough that going to hell after the end of a sinful life can be considered redundant.

For all the ruckus that traffic causes, like floods, the Philippine government seems unable to address it. It is a problem that only gathers momentum as the years go by. Perhaps it’s easy to pontificate from the comforts of a computer chair but one doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that we have too many vehicles plying too few roads.

We have already determined that the problem would not be solved by more road widenings (there’s no more space!). We now need to focus our attention on the number of vehicles roaming the city. Coding is good, but it’s like treating cancer with paracetamol. It’s not gonna work, it never will.

I think somewhere in this country’s limbo of toothless laws, there’s one floating around limiting the road age of vehicles, i.e. if the vehicle has been around for say 10 years, then it’s time for that vehicle to be taken to the vet and put to sleep. That law should have a significant impact when implemented. But how can you expect thieves to actually surrender themselves? Some of those who would be enforcing this law are the ones who would be directly affected by it, so what can we really expect? Hint, some of them are labelled Lacostes (or buwayas).

Somewhere also, there is a stipulation that says, for a person to own a vehicle or operate one, he has to have a place to park this vehicle. Again, this stipulation seems to have fallen into a blackhole. Car owners are shamelessly parking their vehicles by the roadside, further thinning the availble road that motorists can use. This scene is prevalent everywhere and is always a constant source of irritation.

I think we have the right frame of mind to conceptualize these laws. We know even, that these laws are necessary if we are to really move significantly forward. But we are too saddled, too burdened with vested interests that we lack the political will to enforce these laws. Without political will, nothing gets done. We continue to ride in this ship of fools that continues to sink deeper and deeper into the muck, if it can even sink at all, given the traffic density it is surrounded with.

When I was younger, a favorite phrase was Dura Lex, Sed Lex. My law-student aunt would explain it to me saying that “It means, the law is harsh but that is the law.” Unfortunately in this part of the world, this, like all other iron clad things, are easily bent to accommodate the whims and caprices of the powerful few. Around here, it seems that my favorite phrase has developed another meaning; one that says “The law is harsh, but there’s always a way around, if you can afford it”.

Well, cheers to the world famous Manila traffic jam. Looks like it’s here to stay.