Prioritize efficient and inclusive travel modes
AWEEK ago, one of Sen. Nancy Binay’s tweets went viral — a photo of an enormous traffic jam with the caption: “Atm grabe traffic na din ang Skyway.” The deluge of reactions revealed the public’s frustration regarding their worsening mobility. For most of the last century, cars and expressways were “sold” to the public as the paths to greater freedom and unbridled mobility. The vision was that of everyone owning a car and being able to easily drive anywhere. This has turned out to be a false promise. The strategy of expanding road space to accommodate more private motor vehicles has not delivered desired results.
Increasing car use is making us less mobile and more stressed, with time wasted in slow traffic and rising costs for vehicle operation, maintenance and parking. With more cars on our roads, our air grows toxic, our streets become congested and less inclusive, and our planet withers from increasing carbon emissions. We need to find a path to better mobility that is not associated with attracting further private motor vehicle use. A different approach is needed — one that encourages a shift to sustainable mobility options (walking, cycling and public transport) from private motor vehicles.
When roads are choked with traffic and cars are hardly moving, it makes sense to free up one or more lanes so that more efficient travel modes can operate, enabling the same road space to move a larger volume of people. This is the principle behind the EDSA Busway and bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. Placing buses on
an exclusive median lane allows them to move faster, unimpeded by friction with private motor vehicles. Freed from congestion on EDSA, the buses are able to travel between Monumento and Mall of Asia in just 45 minutes, a trip that earlier took as long as three hours.
With hardly any investment, the EDSA Busway has demonstrated its value as a mass transit option. Its ridership of over 400,000 passengers daily is more than the number of passengers on MRT 3. The problem is that the demand for the EDSA Busway far exceeds its current passenger capacity (resulting in long lines to board buses, with queuing times sometimes exceeding an hour).
The good news is that the capacity of the EDSA Busway can be increased many times over by investing in station expansion and improvement and in new BRT-ready buses (with doors on the correct side, possibly even electric). Upgraded stations can also offer all-weather protection and better accessibility, enabling the elderly and persons with disability to use an efficient bus service. Because it can deliver “value for money” and early results, BRT needs to be part of our public transportation investment mix in cities all over the country. The missing ingredient is the political will to transform car lanes into dedicated lanes for public transport.
During the last administration, the lack of political will was exemplified when a senior transportation official declared that BRT systems would not be implemented on any “congested roads.” It is precisely on congested roads where BRT systems deliver the greatest benefits. By preserving the status quo (roads dominated by private cars), the transport official protected the interest of the privileged and better off car-owning minority to the detriment of most Filipinos.
Car owners are only a small minority nationwide (6 percent of households) and even in the National Capital Region (12 percent of households), yet they receive most of the benefit from free and priority use of public roads and bridges. Even if the lobby of car owners is a powerful and vocal constituency, it is the obligation of every public servant and elected official to champion the welfare of most Filipinos and to pursue the greatest good for the greatest number.
What should give our leaders courage to make the right choice is that the vast majority of Filipinos are in favor of revising how our roads are used. The Social Weather Stations undertook a national survey in November 2020, which found that 87 percent of Filipinos nationwide and 89 percent of Metro Manilans agree with the statement: “Roads in Philippine cities and municipalities will be better off if public transportation, bicycles and pedestrians are given priority over private vehicles.” This statement was endorsed across all income classes and in all geographical areas.
Because they are public assets, our roads and bridges need to be placed in the service of all Filipinos. This means transforming the use of existing road space so that it becomes functional, safe and accessible for the majority who travel on foot, on bicycles or in public transport — travel modes that are able to move many times more people using the same road space compared to travel in private cars. This requires proper sidewalks that are safe and welcoming for persons of all abilities, free of obstructions and, where possible, shaded by trees and greenery; a dense network of protected, spacious bike lanes that can take people to and from their regular destinations; and exclusive lanes for public transportation so that buses and jeepneys can travel at efficient speeds and with predictable travel times.
Many car owners have already declared that they would readily switch to public transport if it were abundant, efficient and convenient or use a bicycle if bike lanes were spacious and safe. There is no better time to begin the transformation of our roads so that walking, cycling and public transport are attractive choices for moving around our localities.