Are You in a Hurry?

It’s been 2 months now since I started commuting by bus, by train and a jeepney from Monday to Friday. That is right. I have to do this everyday to attend classes everyday at UP-IITC. If lucky enough, a fourth ride will take me right at the door of the CSRC building.

With the oil prices rising up practically every month, more and more people are commuting by train. The lineup at the train station is always long but some people don’t seem to be affected. The escalators are always full with people waiting for the time that the steps are on the top or below. This is the time when my mind goes back to the time I was in Japan.

For people who are aware of the Japanese practice, they know what I am talking. In japan, escalators are common and people are always in a hurry. What I like about their practice is that people who are NOT in a hurry stays on the other side (I forgot whether it is left or right side) of the escalator. The other side is left vacant for people who might be in a hurry and have to move fast.  If  you stay on the fast lane, then, you must move/step-up/step down even if you are on the escalator.

The management of MRT/LRT and even for establishments should start implementing similar policies. 30 to 50 people at a time on the escalators would put too much burden on the machine. If these people can move as the escalator moves, the escalator’s burden is lessened. Even if these are designed to carry such number of people, it would help lengthen the service it can provide to the commuting public.