Local governments are key to improving road safety
Six years ago, on the 13th of May 2011, University of the Philippines journalism professor Chit Estella was killed when a speeding bus rammed into the rear of the taxi she was riding.
Ironically, just two days prior, the United Nations had launched the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, a global plan that aims to save five million lives and prevent 50 million serious injuries due to road traffic incidents.
In the time that has passed since then, road crashrelated deaths have continued to rise in the Philippines, jumping from just over 8,000 in 2011 to 10,000 in 2015, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Around the world, road traffic injuries claim over 1.2 million lives annually and are the ninth leading cause of death across all age groups.
These alarming figures highlight the need to ramp up efforts to improve road safety globally. The UN aims to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020 – a target that is enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
But with just over two years left to meet this crucial deadline, what can still be done to strengthen road safety in the country?
As a professor of public administration, I believe a key actor and stakeholder in improving road safety is the local government unit (LGU). While it is national agencies which determine the general policies and legislation on road safety, implementation and regulation is done on the ground by city or municipal policymakers and local law enforcement.
During a forum organized by CIFAL Philippines, a United Nations-affiliated training center based in the University of the Philippines, representatives from Metro Manila LGUs shared the challenges of addressing traffic and safety concerns. Foremost among these was the difficulty of aligning policies between adjacent cities and coordinating with national offices such as the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Land Transportation Office.
A key suggestion was for adjacent cities to develop an integrated plan on road usage and safety – such a plan could help ease traffic in “passthrough” cities like Mandaluyong, which is located between the primary business district in Makati, and the residential areas of Quezon City.
Another recommendation was to provide more training and better compensation to traffic enforcers, who are the primary duty-bearers in ensuring that motorists and pedestrians abide by traffic laws, and that thoroughfares are kept clear.
Coordination between the national agencies and their local counterparts must also be improved, including the sharing and constant updating of databases, better and clearer regulations on construction and law enforcement jurisdictions, and unified information campaigns.
It is also within LGUs’ ambit to ensure that local urban plans are inclusive and allows for maximum mobility for all, especially pedestrians. There is now a growing “pedestrianization” movement among Metro Manila LGUs, who are pushing to make their cities more walkable through infrastructure projects that prioritize spaces for nonmotorized road users.
These are only a few of the suggestions and practices that were brought to light by local governments. It is only the start of what will likely be a lengthy conversation about the role that cities and municipalities play in strengthening road safety in the Philippines.
As a follow-up to this initial dialogue, CIFAL Philippines, in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) the UP National Center for Transportation Studies and Diageo, will be holding a multi-stakeholder road safety conference on Nov. 9 - 10, 2017 at the Seda Vertis North Hotel in Quezon City.
Speakers from the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific will be sharing best practices from their home countries and presenting innovative solutions to road safety woes. The conference is the culminating event in UNITAR’s global Road Safety Initiative for Sustainable Cities, a series of activities which aim to advance the road safety advocacy among the youth and also boost the capacities of local leaders to address road and transport concerns.
Admission to the International Road Safety MultiStakeholder Conference is free and open to the public. However, as slots are limited, interested participants are requested to register their intent to attend by emailing cifalphilippines@up.edu.ph. Dr. Edna Co is director of CIFAL Philippines, UNITAR fellow, and professor at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance. You may reach her at edna.CO@unitar.org.