‘KULANG PA’ | DOTr under Tugade still far from improving commuting experience, says group

June 10, 2022 , 03:09 PM

By Beatrice Puente

(June 10, 2022) – As commuters continue to bear a heavy burden, a cause-oriented group on Friday gave Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Arthur Tugade a barely passing grade due to the persisting problems in public transportation and mobility.

Ira Cruz, a director of AltMobility PH, said the DOTr should have improved the public transportation system during the COVID-19 pandemic. On a scale of one to 10, Cruz said he would give Tugade a score of 5.

“While meron namang na-introduce na changes, ito ay kulang at marami pa at malayung-malayo pa ang ating kailangang tahakin upang ma-improve ang commuter experience,” said Cruz on Ted Failon and DJ Chacha sa Radyo 5. “Merong bursts of hope every once in a while, pero kulang na kulang pa rin talaga.”

Last May 30, Tugade admitted that they have not solved all the problems but claimed they “delivered.”

“Never before in the history of this country has the DOTr done so much in such a short time,” boasted Tugade during the Duterte Legacy Summit, touting their accomplishments in airports, ports, and railways.

Cruz said one of the improvements that they noted is the creation of bike lanes in major thoroughfares like EDSA. But maintenance was a huge problem, he added, noting that some are already obstructed.

Cruz, a biker and a commuter, also noted the difficulty of accessing public utility buses. For instance, the EDSA Bus Carousel runs along the middle of the road, requiring commuters to use the steep stairs of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 to reach the stations.

Some MRT-3 stations have escalators and elevators but do not function all the time. Commuters also have a difficult time walking on the sidewalk because they can be too narrow, as in the case of the way leading to the Ortigas station.

“Ito ‘yung masaklap. Sa pagdidisenyo ng infrastructure para sa ordinaryong commuter, masyadong pinahihirapan ang commuter,” said Cruz. “Kung makikita niyo ‘yung bangketa sa labas ng ADB (Asian Development Bank) sa may EDSA, napakakipot niyan. Tapos ang daloy ng tao, both directions pa. Aakyat ka sa MRT para bumaba ulit sa gitna, saka ka pipila.”

Cruz said they have continued their coordination with the government to air their suggestions on how to improve public transportation. He added that they already crafted a “Commuter Bill of Rights” that provides a detailed plan on how to ease commuting.

They want to require public officials to take public transportation at least once a week to let them experience the difficulty of commuting. Cruz stressed that this will help them gain a better perspective on the plight of the commuters.

“While napag-uusapan siya, hindi sapat ‘yung understanding upang i-prioritize at i-expedite ‘yung mga kailangan gawin. Matagal na ‘yung paghihirap na ito at mas humirap pa ang kalagayan ng ating commuters,” said Cruz.

(PM)

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