Financial execs back ‘bold’ reforms in transport system

FINANCIAL executives welcomed government’s move to reform the public bus transportation system in Metro Manila, specifically the transport department’s initiative on a new traffic system for the metropolis’s major thoroughfare.

The Financial executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex) said these reforms lead to higher labor productivity and abets economic growth measures as these could ease the travel of many commuters on EDSA and other major traffic corridors in the capital region.

“As a result, it is expected that higher productivity will be achieved with more commuters accommodated and allowing them to reach their destination faster,” Finex said.

“These new busways and busservice reforms signal the evolution of the commuting experience in Metro Manila,” Finex added. “We look forward to the day when our public transport system achieves world class standards and constitutes an enabler for economic growth and prosperity for the Filipino.”

Finex said it support initiatives like including having new busways in the innermost lanes of EDSA to replace existing yellow bus lanes, bus franchise rationalization and route restructuring.

eduardo h. Yap, the organization’s chairman of national affairs committee described the initiatives as “bold, historic and game changing.”

The business group noted that bus operators would also be benefiting from optimization of bus utilization and passenger capacity with the reforms.

“With more efficient operation of their bus fleet, better returns will be generated,” Finex said. “We are pleased to note that the inclusive approach being adopted will leave no operator behind.”

Finex noted that commuters in Metro Manila have been battling against heavy traffic congestion and “poor” public bus transportation service, stressing that economic opportunity losses rose to approximately P3.5 billion before the lockdown.

The new busway transport technology on edsa’s inner road lanes can effectively manage traffic as these will only be dedicated exclusively for accredited public buses and away from other vehicles, according to Finex.

Moreover, with proper implementation, these are seen to be more efficient than yellow bus lanes, Finex claimed.

According to the Department of Transportation, public transportation guidelines under general community quarantine are to be implemented in two phases.

The first phase, on June 1-21, will only allow train and bus augmentation, taxi, shuttle services (P2P buses), bicycles and tricycles (with clearance from local government unit) to operate with limited passenger capacity in Metro Manila.

During the second phase from June 22 to June 30, the government is allowing the public utility buses, modern public utility vehicles and uv express paid-shuttle service.