This sounds like Bangkok in the early 1990s: Urban decay cools hot Philippine economy

Urban decay cools hot Philippine economy – AFP, October 12, 2014
…Galang spends three hours commuting to work every day, half of which is spent in queues.
For other commuters on buses or in cars, daily gridlock worsens to a complete standstill that can trap people for hours when even small rain storms trigger flash floods…