Why we need a Magna Carta of Commuters
THE Magna Carta of Commuters, also called the Commuters Bill of Rights, is one of the most significant pieces of legislation now pending in Congress. It is urgently needed and should be passed as soon as possible.
Mobility is a basic human need. A person’s mobility has a profound impact on his or her quality of life. Without mobility, Filipinos are unable to enjoy the other rights they are entitled to. Everyone has a fundamental right to travel safely, conveniently and reliably, but we know millions of Filipinos are denied this right every day.
We need to ask ourselves why Filipinos today have to endure such poor mobility conditions. There are many transport projects, but commuters do not feel much impact. In the meantime, these conditions continue to worsen.
Billions are spent on infrastructure, but the projects have little bearing on the day-today travel experience of the vast majority of Filipinos. The dehumanizing and undignified conditions faced by millions of Filipinos daily — those who walk, cycle or use public transport — have several fundamental causes.
First of all, there is no comprehensive plan or strategy to expand and upgrade transport services and infrastructure so that they meet the daily travel needs of commuters. Projects are undertaken, but on a piecemeal basis, rather than as a component of a larger, well-integrated masterplan.
With regard to service quality, there are no targets or goals in terms of the commuter experience. For example, there is a need for an explicit target or standard in terms of the maximum reasonable waiting or queuing time to ride a bus, train or jeepney during rush hour. Without such a standard, it is not possible to calculate the appropriate number of vehicles on a route. In its absence, there is no “trigger” to bring in more vehicles to provide additional capacity. A sad reality is that transport operators and drivers will not object to long queues because long lines ensure a constant stream of passengers and thus generate more revenue for each vehicle.
The lack of service standards also means there is no compelling reason to measure commuter welfare. Normally, a transport regulator like the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) would be expected to monitor whether a transport service offers safe, reliable and convenient travel. However, performance monitoring by the LTFRB, in the absence of these standards, remains weak or non-existent. The Department of Transportation’s (DoTr) focus is on designing and implementing projects, rather than on accomplishing a comprehensive plan that improves the welfare of commuters.
The value of a Commuters Bill of Rights is that it defines the obligations of authorities and service providers in terms of the outcomes that they should deliver. It establishes the important principle that mobility services should be planned in order to meet the daily travel needs of citizens.
It goes on to define the measurable standards for public transport availability and convenience: Public transport services should be available within a 500-meter walk from any residence or activity center in a city, and be in sufficient quantity and frequency so that commuter waiting time at stops and terminals do not exceed 10 minutes during peak demand periods. Public transport will be prioritized in the use of road space and traffic signal operation so that public utility vehicles are able to traverse 15 kilometers within 1 hour, including all scheduled stops.
Every city should have a community-wide network of safe sidewalks, bicycle lanes and roads to enable travel around the city entirely by foot, bicycle or other forms of light mobility. Public transport infrastructure and vehicles shall be designed and implemented so that persons with disabilities or special needs are not excluded from using them.
In Philippine cities and urbanized municipalities, special attention should be given to active transport infrastructure in each village: safe foot paths or sidewalks that are free of obstructions and well-protected from automobiles, compliant with universal design guidelines, and accessible to pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with strollers or wheelchairs; networks of greenways to encourage active trans
port modes; proper lighting on all roads and footpaths to allow safe travel, even at night; tactile paving on sidewalks of high-volume transport corridors for the benefit of pedestrians who are blind; and bicycle racks in every transportation hub or terminal and in every commercial, community and activity center.
The Commuters Bill of Rights calls for incentives and subsidies to be applied in order to encourage greater use of public transport and discourage the use of private motor vehicles. During emergencies and when transport services are seriously deficient, the government is called upon to harness its own transportation resources (government buses, vans, etc.) and offer these for public transport use to fill any temporary deficit in capacity.
The rights of commuters to breathe clean air and have access to information for efficient and convenient travel (maps, signs, schedules, real-time vehicle location, etc.) are also specified. The proposed law also requires transport providers to pay special attention to commuters in case of service breakdowns. Commuters will also be entitled to compensation for deficiencies in services.
A novel and attractive provision in the proposed legislation is requiring government officials to use public transportation at least once a week. The rationale is that decision-makers and implementors will empathize with commuters, respond with a stronger sense of urgency, and prioritize commuter welfare if they themselves stand to benefit from improvements. An Office of Commuter Affairs will be created within the DoTr to ensure that commuters’ concerns will be heard and addressed.
If passed, the Magna Carta of Commuters would be one of the most meaningful legacies of the 18th Congress and the Duterte administration. It would be an important weapon in the fight for improved mobility. The bill should be certified as urgent and fast-tracked by both houses of Congress.