The elections are over and it’s understandable that sentiments are not the same across the spectrum. There are winners and losers in every election, with the May 9 polls probably one of the most participated and emotionally charged political exercise in recent years. Yet we have a country to take care of and we need to be part of its solution especially in these tumultuous times.
For those in VP Leni’s camp, the spirit of selfless volunteerism will carry on. There is so much to do in uplifting the lives of our fellow Filipinos. Even as private citizens, we will all be part of that positive change and will work on being part of strengthening our democratic institutions from where we are. After all, is it not that the government is of the people, by the people, and for the people? We are partisans during the campaign; now we are citizens of our motherland.
The new administration of incoming President Marcos has its work cut out insofar as transportation is concerned. One good thing is that it will be taking off from the gains made from the Duterte administration with the infrastructure- focused “Build, Build, Build” program. Skyways and mega-bridges, of course, with help from the private sector, new roads cutting through mountainous terrains and circumventing cities, rails in progress, plus new airports and seaports; all of these will have a heartfelt impact on the lives of many. Commercial interaction will hopefully help our domestic economy, especially in these times when global economic exchanges are slowing down. Traffic re-distribution, given the many road and transport options for the commuters and motorists, will expectedly equate to less congestion.
Hopefully, with this infrastructural bonus at the onset, the focus now for our new government is strengthening and making transportation more inclusive and sustainable for all, with more focus on those who have less in life. And the focus of work starts not with the private motorists, but the commuters who are riding public transport—the buses, jeepneys, taxis, ride-sharers, tricycles, even those on domestic flights and those boarding our shipping vessels. How do we make their commuting more economical, efficient and safe? Focus now will be on ground transport policies. A magna carta for the commuters, attention to the physically disabled, for senior citizens, a more up-to-date passenger accident/injury indemnification, a more stringent local auto industry safety standards template—all of these definitely need to be attended to by the incoming administration. But policies to be attended to need not just be such highly complex and all encompassing ones. Out there are many “cracks on the wall,” which solutions can be as simple as enforcement or involving minimal budgets. It can be as basic as providing an ample and real all-weather waiting sheds or making sure that those escalators/elevators are working, or modifying those railway ramps and making them less physically challenging. Maybe, just adding more streetlights where it matters and upgrading the bike lanes (there are a lot of damaged barriers that need to be replaced), among others. There are many of these small “cracks” that need to be attended to.
Then there is also the matter of transport’s contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change. Here, we are way behind our global commitments on carbon reduction. Again, the big programs are there such as the public transport modernization program, but there can be a lot that can be done with just focusing on the “little cracks” that are out there. A push on real enforcement on motor vehicle roadworthiness beyond just emission testing, ensuring the passage of the E- transport legislation, a stronger pedestrian and bike commuting program—all of these can easily be accomplished with minimal financials by the government.
The new administration indeed has its work cut out, but the good news is that the path to its success is “doable” and simple. And one more thing, this can fully succeed with a participatory constituency. And hopefully with the valuable discovery of pure volunteerism by VP Leni’s camp and the message of unity by presumptive President Marcos, the chance of a more inclusive and sustainable transport for all will be more or less assured—without politics, of course.
The author may be reached at: tmo45@georgetown.edu