ROAD CRISIS | Move away from ‘car-centric’ mindset to improve traffic situation, says group

December 21, 2022 , 11:57 AM

By Beatrice Puente

(December 21, 2022) – Favoring private vehicles will not improve public transportation, an advocacy group said on Wednesday, stressing the importance of changing the country’s current approach to truly cater to the needs of commuters.

Robert Siy, a convenor of Move as One Coalition, stressed that the horrible traffic situation resulted from “continued bad policy and practice” that tend to be more beneficial to private vehicles.

“We need a transformation of our transportation environment and mindset change. We have prioritized the welfare of a very small minority,” said Siy on One News’ Agenda, noting that only 10% are car owners. “We need to flip that around and work for the benefit of the vast majority of Filipinos who are actually car-less.”

Metro Manila has the fifth worst public transportation system in the world, according to the 2022 Urban Mobility Readiness Index, citing the poor quality and limited connectivity of road networks.

This kind of situation, according to Siy, prompts more Filipinos to buy vehicles just to avoid the stressful experience of riding jeepneys, buses, or trains. He, however, noted that the influx of more private vehicles actually worsens the problem because of the road congestion this causes.

“It is now a major crisis as we have seen that this is making us a more car-dependent society—people have no choice or they feel they have no choice except to buy a car or a motorcycle,” said Siy.

In the previous administration, former President Rodrigo Duterte prioritized various infrastructure projects under the Build, Build, Build program. Even President Bongbong Marcos Jr. vowed to carry on the supposed gains of his predecessor by ushering in new projects he believes would be beneficial to various sectors.

Recently, netizens have expressed their opposition to the government’s approach to the dreadful traffic situation. Many are calling on Marcos to provide pro-people solutions.

Siy said the creation of a dedicated bus lane on a major thoroughfare like EDSA was a good step in reinventing the road space. But he said it still has a lot to improve. He added that the government must also pay attention to the earnings of drivers and operators.

“Given both ‘yung fuel increase and ‘yung traffic situation, the fares that we have today cannot assure ‘yung drivers and operators of making sufficient profit to run the vehicle,” explained Siy.

In moving away from a car-centric mindset, he reiterated that alternative modes of mobility must likewise be promoted by the government.

“There is no way we can expand our roads and bridges fast enough to keep up with the growth of vehicles. We have to use a different approach to fight our traffic situation and improve mobility and it has to do with improving public transport, walking, and cycling,” said Siy.

(PM)

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