A good start in our 2021 transport journey

As we welcomed the New Year, we had that soft opening of the SMC Slex-nlex connector road. Truly a marvel, especially for someone like me who regularly travels from south to north. I even remember reading about someone comparing it to a helicopter ride crossing the metropolis. And to think that this could have been completed earlier.

If 2020 had a lot of wrong turns and abrupt missteps in our local transport universe, then it looks like 2021—with the many good news we have heard so far after just three weeks—will be the year that liberates us from our traffic woes.

As we welcomed the New Year, we had that soft opening of the SMC South Luzon expressway-north Luzon expressway connector road. Truly a marvel, especially for someone like me who regularly travels from south to north. I even remember reading about someone’s post comparing it to a helicopter ride crossing the metropolis. And to think that this could have been completed earlier. There’s really a need to reform government bureaucracy. But let’s concentrate on the good news.

Moving on, here are other welcome transport news in January:

1. The MVIS: Finally, after close to 15 years, the Land Transportation Office’s much awaited motor vehicle inspection program goes underway, bolstering safety on our roads. Though there are rumblings here and there, understandably from displaced emission center owners, and motorists who still need to get used to the strict compliance tests, as well as initial operations tweaks, the MVIS program will surely prove

its worth when road accidents and harmful emissions will dramatically decrease as projected. Good job, LTO.

2. The Metro Manila Ferry: One of the first pronouncements of MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos is his intent to revitalize the Pasig River Ferry. What makes this more exciting is the inclusion of the Marikina River route, which can provide an alternative to the commuters from that part of the metropolis going to the central business district of Makati. A good start, indeed.

3. The Pasig River Expressway: And almost simultaneously, San Miguel announced the start of its next big mega project—the Pasig River expressway, providing Metro Manila a vital east-west corridor roadway. And knowing RSA, we expect the bonus of a needed Pasig River clean up.

4. Full operations and extension of Light Rail Transit 2: Despite the difficulties of working during the pandemic, the LRTA started full operations of Line 2 this month, after the fire incident last year that closed its three stations. This will be a big relief to our rail commuters that rely on this rail line. In addition is the completion of their new stations— Marikina and Antipolo—further providing convenience to transportweary residents in that part of Mega Manila.

5. Opening the countryside: Not to be left out in the good news department, Department of Public Works and Highways announced the completion of several major countryside projects: The Guibang-gamu bypass road in Isabela; the Sibut Bridge in Nueva Ecija; Aluguinsan Tourism highway in Cebu; and the Urdaneta, Pangasinan bypass road, among others, bringing travel convenience and progress to these areas. With Secretary Mark Villar’s steady leadership, expect more good news to come from his department in 2021.

There are still so many transport news of note: The completion of the soon-to-be-operational Clark International Airport, expected to accommodate 8 million passengers per year; the announcement of a new traffic signaling system in Metro Cebu, after more than two decades, providing much relief to our traffic-fatigued Cebuano brothers and sisters; the implementation of double hull boats in the busy Caticlan-boracay corridor, assuring a safer commute to the beaches of Boracay; the launch of modern jeepneys in Pampanga by “Biyahe,” headed by former Grab president Bryan Cu, bolstering the essence of private sector initiative in this program, among others.

It seems that more good news will keep on coming this 2021. A far cry from 2020: Remember the sight of our jeepney drivers and other transport workers begging in the streets; the RFID missteps at the tollways and similarly with the cashless payments of the Edsa carousel; the lack of public transport because of the pandemic? What a relief that we are moving forward with these great news. But such is our life on the road. We hit bumps and wrong turns, but we move on and hope that things get better. And judging from what has transpired after just three weeks in 2021, it looks like this will be a busy, exciting and fruitful transport year for all of us. After all, good will always triump over the bad!

Thomas “Tim” Orbos is currently a transport policy advisor for an international organization and worked in government on transport and urban development matters. He is an alumnus of Georgetown University and the MIT Sloan School of Management. He can be reached via e-mail—tmo45@ georgetown.edu /thomas_orbos@sloan.mit.edu