You will never know what a true “carmaggedon” is until you have braved the traffic in Metro Manila. It will take you several hours to get to work and go home each day. Government agencies have implemented countless projects and regulations to lessen the traffic, but none of them seems to work.
While the government has yet to find long-term solutions to the Philippines’ biggest problem, there are ways to help you slip through the traffic. Different mobile apps can help you navigate the road and escape heavy traffic as much as possible.
So, if you are planning to rent a car in Manila, here are a few apps that you might want to download.
MMDA Traffic Navigator
The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has developed an app to let people know of the traffic situation. The government agency partnered with InterAksyon to improve the app, which they launched in 2011.
Here, users get access to the latest traffic situations within the metro by accessing its mobile software. They will also have different view systems that have indicators to help them distinguish the type of traffic within a specific area.
MRT Cam
In an ideal world, the MRT is a convenient way in and around Metro Manila. Unfortunately, it often bogs down that it is turning to become a nuisance rather than a solution. If it is not breaking down, hundreds upon hundreds of Filipinos rush to get in every day that it is almost impossible to move inside.
The MRT Cam is a mobile app that gives you a view of the various train stations via their CCTV cameras. This app lets you determine whether it is best to take the bus or the MRT instead.
Traffic Dito
Traffic Dito is a crowdsourcing mobile software application made exclusively for iOS phones. Like other navigation apps, it also uses a map and colored markers to let you know the severity of the traffic in different areas.
But what makes it unique compared to other mobile apps is that it utilizes social feed to determine the situation. It calls it social feed as a “stream” that uses social media posts to get an idea of the traffic situation.
MRTtrackr
Aside from giving you a guide to Metro Manila’s traffic, you can also use MRTtrackr to determine the schedule of the main train lines. These train lines are the LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT. Even more, the app also provides you with a guide on how far you are from the nearest station. It even gives you alerts once you have already reached the correct station.
These are a few of the apps that you can consider downloading on your mobile phone to help you navigate through Metro Manila’s heavy traffic. Remember that there is no guarantee that a single app can do everything at once. So, download the apps that you think will complement one another, so you can get a better idea of the situation when you are on the road.
