Railway is best way
Instead of pouring money into tollway projects that benefit mainly those with the means, the government should invest heavily in mass transit projects to solve pernicious vehicular traffic woes.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Development, said the country needs to act fast on its mass transit program as the roads in key metropolitan areas have become increasingly congested.
He called attention to the entry of “an estimated 300,000 additional vehicles on the country’s roads each year.”
Since becoming a senator, Ejercito has built a reputation for advocating for railways, pointing out that nations with huge railway systems, such as India and China, have become the most progressive in the region.
Experts on road congestion said that building toll roads, despite the impressive structures such as the Skyway, contributes little to making travel faster in cities.
New roads encourage people to buy more vehicles, or what economists call induced demand.
Based on data obtained by Ejercito’s panel, the country lags behind its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbors regarding transportation infrastructure development.
“Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are 30 years ahead of us when it comes to transportation infrastructure,” Ejercito said.
He cited the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway
(NSCR) project and the Metro Manila Subway Project as steps in the right direction.
The NSCR is a 147-kilometer railway system that will connect Calamba City in the south to New Clark City in the north.
It will use the existing Philippine National Railways (PNR) line to pass through several stations in Metro Manila. It will also have an Airport Express service using high-speed trains to bring passengers to the New Clark International Airport.
Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank, the construction of the Metro Manila section has started following the suspension of PNR train operations from Valenzuela to Alabang.
Conversely, the subway will run from Parañaque to Valenzuela, with a spur line to the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport Terminal 3.
Building more railways will also help economic growth, as it “provides jobs as well as transportation of farm products,” which in turn will spread development to rural areas.
Priority for such projects must be shown mainly through the protection of their budgets.
Ejercito said the budgets for rail-based projects need protection from being reduced by Congress.
“We must keep pushing for this solution if we are to catch up with the rest of the ASEAN region and untangle the daily gridlock,” he said.
Under Ejercito’s Senate Bill 158, a Comprehensive Infrastructure Development Master Plan will be created to ensure the continuity of high-quality integrated infrastructure projects, which is the measure’s primary aim.
Railways, in addition to speeding up travel, directly benefit the rich and poor alike and serve as a tool to democratize travel, spreading the benefits of progress widely.
Compare the benefits of railways to toll roads, which have the profit motive at the forefront as they are given to the private sector to manage.
The building of roads is a government function, paid for by taxpayers, who are punished twice when they have to pay a toll in the guise of a so-called Public-Private Partnership project.
Even the so-called buildoperate-transfer scheme on concession contracts is not followed, as the private operator gets an extension to run already paid projects.
“An estimated 300,000 additional vehicles ply the country’s roads each year.
“Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Asian Development Bank, the construction of the Metro Manila section has started following the suspension of PNR train operations from Valenzuela to Alabang.