Traffic has always been a perennial problem along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA). Day in and day out, commuters and motorists alike have to wake up extra early just to be able to have enough time to brave the heavy traffic. Year after year, new measures like mass transit systems, u-turn slots, bus lanes and motorcycle lanes have been instituted. And yet, despite all these changes, nothing seems to be consistently effective when it comes to reducing the agonizing traffic. Reports from the traffic command indicated that the average speed along EDSA is at 10-20kph. How very depressing.
In the last quarter of 2010, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has announced a plan to create an odd-even color coding scheme along EDSA. The first version suggest that the scheme be implemented from 7am to 7pm, while the second version propose that the coding system would only be active during rush hours, which run between 7-10am and 5-7pm. In this odd-even scheme, vehicles (both private and public) with plate numbers ending in 1,3,5,7 and 9 will be barred from plying EDSA on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while plates that end with the even digits 2,4,6,8 and 0 will be prohibited from passing through EDSA on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. With this information in mind, this article will discuss the pros and cons of this proposed odd/even color coding scheme.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Pros and Cons of Odd or Even Color Coding Scheme | Automotive Parts Suppliers
Stick Shift 101 | Automotive Parts Suppliers
Learning how to drive can be done in two ways, and it’s either through manual transmission or automatic transmission. Though it’s more convenient to go with automatic transmissions, it takes real guts to choose the more complicated mechanisms of stick shift cars. As a matter of fact, automobiles, during their early existence, were all manual. During that time, the stick shift was treated as the best companion for driving, whether it’s for short distances or faraway road trips. It is not that easy to learn driving using a stick shift when compared to the luxury offered by automatic cars. The good thing about knowing how to use a stick shift is that you’d be granted full control of the vehicle. You’d appreciate how powerful it could be as you explore its varying gears, which is something you cannot do with an automatic transmission.
“Real Driving” is learned when you drive a car that is on manual transmission. So if you successfully master the method of stick shift cars, you’ll surely be able to learn the simpler automatic transmission should you choose to study it later on.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Pros and Cons of HID Headlamps | Automotive Parts Suppliers
In recent years, a lot of innovations have been introduced by the automotive industry. Some of the notable developments include paddle shifters, rear view cameras, voice-activated radio controls, headlamp washers and HID headlamps. In this article, we’ll be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of HID headlamps.
HID (high-intensity discharge) headlamps, also known as xenon headlamps, were first introduced as an option for the BMW 7-series in 1991 Europe. Car models in the United States soon caught up with this invention in 1993. These metal halide lamps contain xenon gas, which causes the lamp to produce minimal adequate light upon power-up. Different from tungsten-filament halogen headlamps, the light from HID headlamps typically exhibits a bluish tint.
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Most Stolen Cars in the Metro | Automotive Parts Suppliers
Recently, I have watched the news and saw that there have been a very big number of stolen car cases in the metro. It’s actually quite alarming as I have already set my mind in buying a car. But if this is the case, then I should probably rethink my options. Poverty in the Philippines might be one of the main reasons why people commit such crimes. Excluding times when Manny Pacquiao is engaging in a boxing match, crime rates have been consistently increasing,
One decision that might prevent the rise of carjacking is to purchase a car that won’t call the attention of car thieves. The above statement may suggest that I’m persecuting drivers for owning luxurious cars, but I assure you that that isn’t the case. The less glamorous a car is, the less likely that it’ll be stolen from a packed parking lot. I was surprised in my research when I found out that car thefts are statistically more prone to certain models of cars. Number one in the list would be Toyota Fortuners.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Elevated EDSA: Is it Feasible? | Automotive Parts Suppliers
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), formerly known as Highway 54, is a 24-kilometer highway that comprises a major portion of the Circumferential Road 4 (C-4) in Metro Manila. It begins at Monumento and ends near the Mall of Asia in Manila; all the while passing through the various cities like Pasay, Mandaluyong, Makati, Caloocan and Quezon City. Estimations suggest that around 2.34 million vehicles pass through it every single day. And if there’s one thing that it is often associated with EDSA, it is traffic. Traffic jams along EDSA could be very taxing on motorists; the average travel speed during rush hours hover between 10-20kph. Despite the addition of the Metro Rail Transit, the heavy traffic continued to be a problem.
In the last quarter of 2011, Rogelio Singson, cabinet secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), has announced a plan to build an “Elevated EDSA” atop the existing one. With an anticipated budget of around P50 billion, the project would consist of six-lanes with a combined length 22 kilometers. The question that begs us is this: With the staggering amount of money required, is the project actually feasible?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
GPS in the Philippines: Is It Worth It? | Automotive Parts Suppliers
A Global Positioning System (GPS) is a lightweight, portable device that provides detailed information about specific locations. The good news about the GPS is that its price range has significantly decreased since its initial release. Its purpose and function should aid drivers in reading maps and identifying certain locations that will lead to their foremost destination.
As we all know, using a GPS in the Philippines will have its fair share of benefits and disadvantages, and its usability would still vary in the locations where you’re going to use it. A distinct feature of the GPS is its stored artificial intelligence. Its accumulated input will automatically suggest alternate routes whenever it detects possible traffic jams somewhere on your original route. Another feature that can be deemed useful is its ability to inform you the exact distance between your current location and your desired destination.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Truth on Myth: Stick Shift Cars Going out the Door | Automotive Parts Suppliers
In you take a look at today’s first world countries, you’ll see that stick shift cars are no longer commonly used. The comfort of not having to shift gears has definitely provided a lot of ease to anyone who owns an automatic vehicle. Those who just want to take things easy should have no complaints with their automatic cars, but when it comes to the “need for speed”, stick shift cars really do break necks!
Stick shift cars, which can also be referred as Manual Transmissions or Manual Gearboxes, have been used for several decades in motor vehicles. It uses 1) a clutch to transfer torque from the engine to the transmission of a car and 2) a gear stick that regulates what gear the car would be in to. Perfect Shifting is known to be the best way to maximize the speed of a car. The maximum speed of manual gearboxes can never be matched by automatic transmissions, because the “Perfect Shift” concept would not take place without the help of a driver’s manual shifting.
