Easing traffic flow
Traffic management authorities are reportedly again considering the expansion of the vehicle number coding scheme in Metro Manila. With the Metro Rail Transit 3 breaking down up to three times a day and with the inadequacy of other mass transportation facilities, an expansion of number coding could simply put more private cars and motorcycles on the road, which means worse traffic gridlocks.
There are other options for improving traffic flow. For the long term, the government can lay the groundwork for more overpasses and bypass roads. Metro Manila needs a subway and a modern commuter train service as well as an express railway service for transporting cargo from the Manila port to other parts of Luzon. These proposals, however, can suffer the fate of previous transport projects and become bogged down in corruption scandals and lawsuits by warring contractors.
For the short-term, authorities can get together with bus and jeepney transport operators, and persuade them to put an end to the system of paying public utility drivers based on the number of passengers they transport. Efficient mass transport services strictly follow schedules for arrivals and departures at designated stops. This is why people continue to take the light railway services despite regular glitches. But regular schedules cannot be followed when PUV drivers are jostling with others to pick up the most number of passengers per trip.
Traffic, transport and local government officials can also persuade homeowners to open certain critical roads in gated subdivisions to the public. Housing and other pertinent laws can be invoked for the turnover of those roads to the government, in the interest of the public. Las Piñas has shown the impact of such a move on easing traffic flow. There is also jurisprudence governing the opening of subdivision roads in some parts of Metro Manila to support this move. Mayors and other local officials who may be benefiting from homeowners’ collection of vehicle stickers in private subdivisions should be exposed and reprimanded or penalized.
These are just a few of the doables for improving traffic flow. The government need not wait for Congress to grant President Duterte emergency powers to do these. While emergency powers would speed up such moves, it is better to get the cooperation of those affected to ensure that the measures can be sustained.