The opening of full face-to-face classes in August will put much stress on our already burdened transport situation. With a pandemic-diminished public transport fleet, further affected by the current fuel hikes, the influx of more than 27 million students (3 million in Metro Manila alone) will require not just boxful of attention from our government but also out-of-the-box solutions as well. What happens when there is a shortage that needs to be addressed immediately and there are no supplies that can suffice in the short term? Rationing.
We lined up for gas with ration coupons during the oil crisis in the ’70s, and rice supply is normally rationed during major disasters. Power outages in the ’90s were a form of rationing electricity. Rationing happens when there is a crisis. We have one right now in the transport sector. With the influx of students, we need to note that 30 percent of the pre-pandemic numbers of public utility vehicles are most likely not to return. There are more commuters now with a lot of “shifters,” leaving their private vehicles at home because of high fuel costs. The “Libreng Sakay” program will help ease the pain, but will not address the shortage. And even if all jeepney routes are opened up, it will still not be enough. Rationing is a measure that we may need to consider, albeit temporarily. Mind you, this is not a walk in the park. It is bothersome and inconvenient. Expect much opposition and criticism. But it’s a solution in the short term that will get things done given the dire situation.
What’s my rationing proposal? Ration the time people are to travel. In other words, flexi time. Have commuters travel in batches and in schedules. By doing so, we can assume that the finite numbers of public vehicles will be able to accommodate the number of commuters at a given time. But we know this is easier said than done. Imagine requiring the whole population to move at a specific time and place. Not only will that be a gargantuan task, it will most likely fail. Not to mention it is a restriction on freedom that could result in litigation, or sorry results for our officials in future elections.
In any rationing scheme, there are those that will have to sacrifice more. In most cultures, leaders are expected to sacrifice more—the last one in the lines, the last one to eat that piece of bread or drink from the scarce water supply. In this case, my proposal is for the government—the public servants—to be the ones to sacrifice more. My proposal calls for the government as a whole—whether national or local—to take the higher road and sacrifice by coming to work early, before the rest of the general population. There is an estimated close to a million government workers in Mega Manila alone, a number that cannot be taken lightly. For starters, government personnel can be asked to report at 7:00-7:30 a.m., instead of the usual 9 a.m., and be dismissed at 3:00-3:30 in the afternoon. There will be exceptions, especially for frontline offices that will have to be available at all times and will therefore require a different kind of scheduling. There will also be other government-led efforts such as government car-pooling and sharing with the public all possible government vehicles for free, not to mention a general interval scheduling of work at home/report to office schemes. But it would be the government’s flexi-time or road rationing that could spell the difference.
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary solutions and extraordinary sacrifices. Involving the government and making public servants share the pain is a form of leading by example. If the people see that government leaders are ready to sacrifice with commuters, they may be able to convey the message that times of uncertainty can also be times of great change. Road rationing/flexi time can bring much help to the transport shortage. The roads are reflective of our nation’s conduct. That is why the “wang-wangs” of those in power leave a bad taste in us who cannot do anything in traffic. Government officials ready to sacrifice, to come in early as part of road rationing and flexi time so that the public can be accommodated during regular hours, will help bring them closer to their constituents that they pledged to serve, especially during this transport crisis we are currently experiencing.
The author may be reached at tmo45@georgetown.edu