I have just recently come back from a three-month stay in Auckland, New Zealand with my wife. Very soon, we will go back there to stay longer. All our children and grandchildren are based there so while we consider Manila as our principal home, Auckland will be the place where the heart is.

The first thing I did on arrival in NZ was to buy a car to enable us complete independence. Our children have their own families and work to attend to and we do not want to impose on any of them to take us to places we would like to go to. Independence also allows us to enjoy the unfamiliarity of the new environment.

I drove by myself on the other side of the road. It didn’t take long for me to get accustomed to it. Waze and the Navi were constant companions. These two applications are awesome. I wouldn’t have made it to places without them.

I am sharing my observations and experiences with a fervent wish that the good things I saw can be seen in the streets of Manila too. Any driver in Manila can attest to the fact that driving in the city is stressful.

The first thing I noticed while driving in New Zealand was the road discipline and courtesy of drivers.

There are, of course, very strict road and traffic rules, non-compliance with them results in penalties.The Philippines has the same rules but the difference is that Filipino drivers take the rules as mere suggestions. People in New Zealand follow the rules and take no shortcuts. This alone takes out the stress in driving. Couple this with clean and well-paved roads and lush greens around and driving becomes a pleasant experience. To my amazement, I never got tired driving around.

Bus lanes are strictly followed. When the bus lanes are open and there is slow traffic in the inner lanes, drivers do not occupy them. They keep them open. There are courtesy lanes for those with more than one passenger and people honor that. Window tints are allowed at the back but not in front so you can be monitored and to ensure the drivers’ sight is not impaired. Infractions are dealt with accordingly with fines and late penalty charges. These have to be settled otherwise you will be unable to register your vehicle in the next year.

Vehicle registration is preceded by a Warrant of Fitness (WoF). It is a compulsory regular check to ensure that your vehicle meets required safety standards. The WoF inspection is a general safety check of the tire condition, brake operation, lights, windscreen glazing, wipers and washers, doors, safety belts, speedometer, fuel system, exhaust, suspension and structural condition because rust is not allowed in certain areas of the vehicle.

This requirement alone gives you a guarantee of safety of the vehicles on the road. Without the WoF, the vehicle cannot be registered and driven on the streets. They follow rules strictly. Sadly, the same is not true in Manila. We know that for a fee, you can renew your registration without the “required” inspection. You can even obtain a smoke emission clearance by non-appearance. Money talks.

I have not heard of road accidents in NZ caused by brake failures or worn-out tires. Our truck and bus drivers could only scratch their heads during mishaps always blaming faulty brakes and blown out tires in many cases.

Honking is seldomly done….mostly, only when another party does something wrong, like signalling to change lane but taking time to do so or stopping when you can actually move. Blinking lights in Manila means “I want to go first.” On the other hand, blinking in NZ is a courtesy signal to tell you that “You can go ahead”.

Nobody blocks the intersection to give way to other vehicles. In Manila, it is a common sight for vehicles to try and occupy every available space without regard for other vehicles. Our jeepney drivers stop wherever they please to take in passengers or worse to chat with other drivers.

Driving through the motorway (toll road in New Zealand) is quick and easy. There are no toll booths so there is no need to slow down or stop to look for cash. Their electronic toll collection uses sophisticated cameras and sensors to capture an image of your vehicle’s registration plate and assigns the correct toll. They have plenty of signs as you approach a toll road to give you time to prepare to take an alternative road if you prefer not to pay the toll.

As your vehicle passes under the toll point, cameras capture an image of the vehicle’s registration plate number. The toll system uses the latest optical character recognition technology to read the registration plate and determine whether you are driving a motorcycle, a car, a truck or a bus, and assign the correct toll. The amount you pay depends on the type of vehicle you are driving.

The system automatically checks to see if your vehicle is linked to an account. If it is, the toll transaction is loaded against the account and the toll is automatically deducted. If it is not, the system holds the toll record. You are given five working days to pay for it. Beyond that, a Toll Payment Notice will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle for which an administration fee of $4.90 per notice is issued. Non-payment beyond 28 days warrants an infringement notice for which an additional fee of $40 for each unpaid toll is issued. Well, why waste that money? Five days is more than enough time to pay for accountabilities.

Transactions in New Zealand are done online via cell phone. I only kept minimal cash in my wallet. Banking is done online and you are able to check transactions right after they are done.

Overall, there are three things I hope for in the country insofar as motoring is concerned.

First, that corruption in government agencies is eliminated so that a good road network and well-paved streets can be built. It is also when there is no corruption that there can be only structurally safe vehicles on the road. Second, that all drivers will be properly educated and knowledgeable about road safety and courtesy. Lastly, and more importantly, that attitudes and behaviors can be positively changed so that all drivers become calm, well-mannered and respectful for rules and for others.