Now that we have Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as our incoming president, we all need to end our partisan political engagement and go back to being citizens of the republic. The government needs all hands on deck, especially with our ship Philippines facing such stormy seas up ahead. And all of us, regardless of political color, need to do our part in the democratic process that we promised to uphold. In this journey our country is now in, let us not be barriers but rather guardrails to ensure that we are on the right track.
In an interview last week, the presumptive president included transport as one of the areas that his administration will focus on. And studying statements on transport he made during the campaign, as well as during his past public service stint, it can be deduced that he will not just focus on infrastructure development, the so-called “hard” component of the programs, but also on needed transport policies (“soft” component) that will prioritize the interests of the riding public. A possible transport roadmap for the new Marcos administration may include the following vital components:
Transport as key driver of regional development—In the said interview, the presumptive president announced his intent to build more seaports and airports to spur domestic economic growth. Most likely, these projects will be via Public-Private Partnership (PPP) given the stressed coffers that the outgoing administration is leaving behind. Mega PPP projects such as the Bulacan and Sangley airports will most likely see fruition. In the meantime, present BBB programs, mostly in the rail sector, will see much of their completion under the new administration, making it the bedrock of land-based commercial and commuter activities.
Commuter safety—Then Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized the need for the safety and convenience of commuters, calling for a Code of Transportation and Commuter Safety, citing that present laws are geared toward protecting transport businesses rather than the commuters. From educating motorists to rehabilitating and improving safety devices, as well as enforcing or enhancing safety regulations, his administration has his work cut out in this much-neglected aspect of transport.
Modernization beyond vehicle change—Duterte’s DOTr pushed for public transport modernization focusing on vehicles change, starting with the jeepneys. But that is just one aspect of the program. Equally important are its other components such as passenger convenience to include PWDs (persons with disability) and operator/driver benefits. And beyond the jeepneys is the modernization of other modes of public transport such as buses, trucks and even the last mile carriers such as tricycles and bicycles.
Rationalization with commuters in mind—Hand in hand with commuter safety is commuter convenience. And the beginning of ensuring both the convenience and safety of commuters is having and efficient public transport system. As it is right now, we are nowhere near that. In many road corridors, commuters need to grapple with transport shortage or its extreme, overlapping modes that compete in certain corridors with no end-to-end cohesiveness. Hence, you have an oversupply in one area then a total shortage in another. Immediately needed is an honest national transport corridor-based audit vis-à-vis passenger demand, which I believe has not been done in decades. Added to this is the need to use central depots not just for buses but also for other transportation modes.
Green transport—On a bigger scale, commuter protection entails protecting the environment and here we lag behind, with road transport contributing almost a third of all greenhouse gases emitted in our country. Laws on green vehicles have been lagging in Congress. We have flipped-flopped on the needed roadworthiness tests. Bicycle commuting remains to be for those who ride public transport rather than being an option for private motorists.
Technology-driven transport—Many times in the past, Marcos Jr. mentioned science and technology as an equalizer for general development, and he recognized the need for more support for scientists and IT professionals. It is then expected that we will see technology-based solutions for transport, which will hopefully include smart cities and sustainable transport technology.
There is always that sense of hope among the people every time a new administration comes in, regardless of political affiliations. We are, after all, in the same ship, with the new president as our captain. In this new journey we find ourselves in, and based on the presumptive president’s past pronouncements, I believe we will be on the right track to a more sustainable, technology-based, people- and environment-centered transport roadmap.
The author may be reached via: tmo45@georgetown.edu