Uploaded on Apr 6, 2010
Life on the Line: Exploring Manila's railway trolley cars, means of transport quicker than taxis but which face enemies in the form of trains and the police
April 2010
In the chaos of Manila's choked roads, a hair-rising mode of transport has evolved: trolley cars that speed through the city's rail tracks, evading frequent trains and the prying eyes of the police.
No traffic, laughs Henarco, pushing a parasol-shaded trolley along a railway track at great speed. Hes been running these rails for 18 years, and at half the price of public transport and a fraction of the travel time, business is booming. But we have enemies, Henarco says, referring to the high-speed trains, which come every 15 minutes, when someone hears the hoot we just jump off! The trains arent the only enemies for the community of trolley drivers who live and work here. They also face periodic raids by the railway police. Yet the service the trolley guys provide buys them a lot of friends and a bit of tolerance...so long as they dont set up shanty towns where they work. Dinner, lunch, everything on this trolley, says Henarco, who was relocated from a shanty town around these tracks, which was demolished by the rail authorities 2 years ago. Henarco and his two children now work, sleep and eat on his trolley and a small side-car, behind the walls of the University where Henarco once studied. I studied computer technology, but I had no money to feed my family. For Henarco, the sacrifice was, just common sense.
SBS Dateline - Ref. 4787
Journeyman Pictures is your independent source for the world's most powerful films, exploring the burning issues of today. We represent stories from the world's top producers, with brand new content coming in all the time. On our channel you'll find outstanding and controversial journalism covering any global subject you can imagine wanting to know about.