Where PMV driver is king and rogue

LIFESTYLE

IT is not trivial anymore.
Some drastic measures need to be taken to ensure road safety in Port Moresby gets serious attention. Similar attention must be given to good forward planning so that traffic congestion is minimised as Port Moresby faces an explosion in population.
According to his research Marfuka puts the population of the capital city of Papua New Guinea at 410,000, a 2.5 per cent increase from 2022. That year it was 400,000, a 2.3 per cent increase from 2021.
Now these are figures that have not been backed up a proper national census. The last one was held in 2011 which had the population of Port Moresby at 364,145 inhabitants. An unofficial 2020 estimate has the population at 383,000.
So based on the formula that demographers use, in 2024 the population is estimated to be hovering at around the 420,419 mark.
Marfuka is not a demographer, persons who use census data, surveys and statistical models to analyse the size, movement and structure of populations. But with the advent of the internet one can research and the obtain the numbers being shared.
Now how many of these people own vehicles? Luckily not as many as compared to cities in other countries with similar populations to Port Moresby.
Marfuka recalls a radio interview he heard the other day about the neighbouring Pacific islands nation of Tonga and its capital of Tongatapu. Each household on average has three vehicles. And they are now facing traffic congestion.
Trips that are supposed to be done in minutes are now increasing to hours during daily drives from home to work or school to drop off student children. The challenge is they have single lanes each way and that in itself is where their problems are compounded.
Port Moresby has double lanes – some three lanes – so is yet to be hit by these problems on a massive scale. Although at peak hours or if there is an accident or a vehicle breaks down in the middle of the road, the congestion becomes a serious concern to free-flowing traffic.
So Marfusa is hoping that the relevant authorities have this factored in when collaborating with the National Capital District to ensure the city’s future expansion is worked into relevant plans. That is touching on, as they say “heavy-lifting” but for now Marfuka wants to get into the conversation that is really disturbing as he has noticed some near-misses in relation to traffic accidents.

Running red
Drivers running red lights is becoming a trend that is seemingly travelling into dangerous territory. Marfuka likens adult humans, despite being supposedly grown-up, to children, especially those who are undisciplined and have little regard and respect for traffic rules and regulations.
That is, you don’t put some control measures to reign them in – they become problematic and affect others as well. That if many are running the red lights at an intersection, the statistics can blow out to critical levels if this becomes a habit to those getting away with it.
That will obviously attract the necessary attention from every concerned authority.
But why must we wait until then?

Habit
Markufa then swings into an educational mode trying to understand the word habit better.
How do habits form? Habit is a settled tendency or usual manner of behaviour. It is a routine of behaviour that is repeated regularly and turns to occur subconsciously. It is developed through reinforcement and repetition.
So based on those definitions consider this – that if a driver continuously runs the red light, it is now a habit for him or her. He or she does it without thinking much about it.
Without having to delve too much into the psychology of what habits are if they are good than one is placed in a good space as it helps them greatly in how they live life.
It is the bad habits that are bad and detrimental if it endangers the life of a person or others affected by it.
Marfuka believes running a red light is a bad habit that must be prevented at all costs through heightened efforts on awareness and stricter policing efforts.
So that these bad habits are curtailed earlier than later.
Marfuka recalls reading a Facebook post from one of his friends that expressed his concern following a near-accident recently.
He decided to borrow snippets from that post which again, is educational attempt that should be shared with the valued readers of this column.
Red light on: This tells drivers to stop. You have to stop at all costs because there are other movements that are already beginning to happen elsewhere the intersection.
Before the light turned red, the amber light was flashing.
This tells the driver to stop when it is safe to, because the light is about to turn red.
Elsewhere at the intersection drivers are ready to start moving because the green light will be coming on.
This means the driver can start driving or keep driving if they are approaching the intersection.

Heeding amber
Now Markufa wants to discuss the amber light. It says stop when it is safe to.
Which if it is safe to keep moving, you have to keep moving.
Why? Because a sudden stop is going to put those behind you in a dangerous position.
Going back to that FB post, it seemed the driver who had tried to the run the amber light was in the wrong because there was another vehicle in front of him. The driver of that vehicle had decided it was not safe to run the amber light and was coming to a stop.
So those vehicles behind it should have been slowing down in anticipation of the red light except the bus driver who almost ran into the sedan in front of him.
Marfuka’s analysis of the post revealed that if the vehicle in front was slowing down then it would be common sense to also slow down. Shifting to the other lane could be an option but the room for that would be cramped up.
Should you accelerate through an amber light? The short answer should be No. You must STOP if you see an amber or red light at a traffic light. The only exception with the amber light is if the driver is too close to the lights to stop safely.
But running red lights is not the only bad habit that drivers in Port Moresby need help with correcting.
Marfuka therefore shifts his attention to some of the bad habits that happen away from the traffic lights.
On a busy two or three lane drive in Port Moresby – the outside lane should be where the PMV (Public Motor Vehicles) which a mostly buses operate from unless they are off duty. That is what Marfuka would do if he was in charge of the transport system in the city or in a position to do something about it.
PMV buses must never be allowed to travel on the inside lane because experience has shown that drivers to take that lane are almost always a hindrance to the general flow of traffic.
Why, one may ask.
Because that is where their area of business takes place. That is the lane from which they pick up and drop off their passengers. When they move into the inside lane they get trapped in traffic and some of the things they do while trying to revert back onto the outside lane would make a group of traffic officers who decided to charge spot fines on them would have them return to the office with a money bag full for a day’s work.
Prevention is better than cure becomes the next best thing to do for them. Avoid getting caught in these scenarios.

Handy driving tips
Some tips Marfuka can share with drivers in Port Moresby that may become handy.

• When approaching a PMV stop especially it is on a busy period of the day – shift to the inside lane about 20 metres out. This is so that you don’t get caught in the ‘mayhem’ that happens around that area. This is where competition for space makes it a crazy area to be caught in. You will have PMV buses cutting in front of you to access that area so that their passengers can get off. Or for them to pick up new passengers.
• A practice that seems to be turning into a habit is when buses drivers stop at a stop and do not move until they have filled the vehicles. This is one reason that is causing traffic congestion to an orderly flow of traffic. Because these buses are stationary until they are filled, the spaces at the bus stops are getting congested. When that happens – it affects orderly movement along the inside lane.
• Taxis do not have their own ranks like in other cities. So they end up using bus stops as the ideal spots where they wait to pick up customers. The mad rush for space is chaotic and one just needs to stand at one of these busy spots during peak periods to watch all this drama played out right in front of them. Of course law enforcement agencies can dive in and assist with clearing these areas on busy days. But their resources are already stretched attending to other responsibilities so that idea gets shot down before it can leave one’s mouth.

Marfuka can add onto the list of many other activities that are all happening at the same time like betel nut being sold at these busy spots which compounds the free movement of passengers commuting using the public transport system. There are vendors that know that bus stops or areas where the traffic comes to halt like at traffic lights are hot spots to ply their trade for quick convenient business.
They way, they risk their lives to sell their products is for want of a better word mind boggling. It seems to have become a practice that drivers have found a way to deal with this. They become extra careful not to hit a seller who is continuously moving between the vehicles wanting to service potential customers. The vendors become so good at it that they could put the sidestepping skills of a rugby league player to shame.
Law enforcement agencies have tried to control these areas and then stop for reasons that would need a whole new chapter to cover adequately.
Until something drastic or dramatic happens like a life lost due to tragic accident that some serious attention is given to curtailing these scenarios.