The problems of traffic and public transportation have been with us for the longest time, but some of us do not realize this fact maybe because we are already so used to them. The travel and waiting time remain tedious. The PUVs are packed making travel undignified. Commuter stress remains high because of the absence of public transport schedules. And yet year in and year out, at least for the past 40 years, administrations have embarked on mega infrastructure projects that supposedly would change the lives of Filipino commuters and motorists for the better. We are told about the subway, the rails, transport modernization, the many airports and ports, etc.; yet we wonder—have we not been told about similar ambitious projects in the past and still the streets are as confusing, hostile and overall problematic as before? What do we still need to do? We have already spent so much and built bigger and bigger, yet it is as if nothing has improved on our lives on the road.
The economist Leopold Kohr (1909-1994) talked about the advancing of small, appropriate policies as superior alternative to the mainstream ethos of bigger is better. This could be one major cause of our transport and traffic problems and where the solution should eventually lie—the propensity of focusing too much on the grand and monumental that we lose sight of the basic and fundamental that would just need simple solutions. Let’s look at our lives on the road. The moment we leave our residences, we compete for survival. There are virtually no sidewalks, and practically no concrete policies on curbside parking with cars parked everywhere. The tricycles lord it over in inner streets, with no logic to routes, numbers, fares and even their configuration —which is neither comfortable nor safe. Much is spent on pedestrian overpasses and walkways but no one uses them, and nobody enforces their use. Then we have the jeepneys that stop anywhere, competing with the buses and the UV vans, a unique creation of our past transport policy makers. The jeepneys, despite the touted modernization, remain virtually how they were 50 years ago —mom and pop, boundary system, payments direct to the driver. The buses, on the other hand, owned by more moneyed operators, may be a bit more disciplined, but still the same. Policies on PUV terminals, granting of franchises, route assignments, even the ones on vehicle volume reduction, change from administration to administration. Then there is the matter of enforcement being coordinated among a dozen or so competing traffic enforcement areas of responsibility, with some in contradiction to the rest. The list of traffic and transport woes goes on and on.
I am not saying that the railways, the airports and ports being built, as well as transport modernization do not matter. They do. But we are missing out on a lot of fundamental and basic concerns that should be a given for any society. And these “small, minor concerns,” the givens, the basics, the “low-hanging” fruits can make a marked difference if attended to. Confronting and resolving these “minor” concerns can go a long way in alleviating our lives on the road, if we apply the same passion (but definitely with a lot less pesos) that we put on the grand and monumental.
What are these simple, low-hanging solutions? Strict enforcement of laws is one. If only those enforcers would focus on making sure that the traffic flows smoothly instead of just waiting for that vehicle with the wrong coding plates. Regular maintenance of basic transport infrastructure should also be given priority. How many of our mega projects lack basic maintenance. Take a look at those dilapidated bike rails, or the MRT elevators that are always out of order. Another one involves clear policies that do not change arbitrarily from one administration to the other. Remember the BRT in Edsa that was approved all the way up to the Neda Board then suddenly cancelled? Or the mandatory drug tests that make sense, then cancelled as well? What about ensuring that pedestrian overpasses are indeed walkable and PWD friendly, or public transport terminals are present where they are supposed to be? Or real honest to goodness driving exams and cancellation of licenses due to violations? The list of simple solutions also goes on and on.
Mind you, simple, basic solutions are not as simple as they sound. It is not a walk in the park. But they can be done—at less cost, and at a faster time. Besides, mega solutions won’t matter if the basic ones are not taken cared of. Both mega and basic solutions need to be in place. The past administrations made sure they will be remembered by their “monuments.” Understandable. But we do hope that the new administration will also put the same attention on the fundamental, basic ground problems that would just require simple, basic and fundamental solutions. Then we may be able to see a better breathing space on the road.
The author may be reached at tmo45@georgetown.edu