Solving traffic: what do we need to do?

There are a number of theories and ideas on how to solve traffic, some more radical than others. But the reality is that the cause of traffic is a fundamental characteristic in our society.

After years under martial law, the three succeeding administrations focused development too much within Metro Manila. These governments failed to devise a future-proof plan for rapid expansion and sustainable development.

And that is why any infrastructure project or vehicle reduction scheme our government is thinking of will fail, or at least fall short of the desired goal.

The private sector and the government need to think outside of Metro Manila: we should build business, commerce, trade, industry and tourism in the nearby provinces right beside or outside of Metro Manila.

In doing so, the capital will be decongested.

I’d like to call on the very large organizations to set an example, the likes of San Miguel Corporation, PLDT/MVP Group, Ayala Group, and so forth to build their base of operations in a campus-like environment outside of Metro Manila, much like how large US corporations like Google and Microsoft have done so.

A sprawling environment away from the tight confines of the city will also help build creativity and innovation.

The next ideal group to move would be institutions such as Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle University, and all the schools in the Edsa-Ortigas area (Poveda, Xavier, Immaculate Conception Academy, La Salle Green Hills) to also move outside of Metro Manila.

To make a concession, I’d leave pre-school and post-grad programs within the city for the sake of safety, security and convenience for young ones.

Look elsewhere abroad: all major educational institutions were originally erected outside of major business districts and city centers. Some, like Boston, Krakow, Oxford or Cambridge, sprouted communities that supported these educational institutions, but it is these institutions that formed the center or focal point of these communities.

Such an environment will also help learning, creativity and innovation. You won’t get that in a cramped environment such as a city center.

Bring major corporate entities and educational institutions out of Metro Manila, and residential communities as well as leisure, commercial and even small supporting businesses will pop up and thrive in these locales.

People will then move away from city centers and live in the suburbs or province, where the quality of life can potentially be much better.

But before this can happen, the government needs to future-proof and plan for this massive de-centralization: build more and better roads, bridges and supporting infrastructure from the city center to these areas, and develop safety and security, as well as public infrastructure within these areas as well.

Additionally, the local and national government must provide tax credits, discounts and rebates for these institutions moving out of Metro Manila to make it feasible and attractive for people and businesses to move out.

Alongside this, government should also give extra special benefits to direct foreign investments looking to be a stakeholder in our country and planning to set up their base of operations outside of Metro Manila.

Call centers/BPOs should be diverted away from Metro Manila as there is a large supply of well-trained English-proficient graduates and professionals outside of the capital.

These are all very long-term goals which will probably take 15 to 20 years to come into fruition. But the government must start laying down the foundations for this to happen. And they need to do it right now.

Medium-term, the solution gets a little more complicated. Taking a cue from other cities, Metro Manila is divided by Pasig River yet it lacks bridges that connect the northeast to the southwest of the capital.

We need more bridges because basically, almost every motorist is trying to find its way across Pasig River from one side of the capital to the other.

There are roughly less than 10 major bridges connecting the two sides of Metro Manila that serve a population of 12 million people, potentially as much as 20 million in a day.

The proposed bridge connecting Barangay Kapitolyo in Pasig to Lawton Avenue in the Bonifacio Global city will greatly decongest traffic on Edsa.

About 70 informal settlers are keeping the project from breaking ground at the moment.

Fingers crossed, the government gets its act together and starts building. After this, we need a hundred or so more bridges.

We also need more elevated highways that can completely bypass Metro Manila’s main thoroughfares.

A few days ago, I drove just under 500 kilometers from France to Italy in four hours, sticking to the speed limit.

In comparison, the length of Edsa can easily take four hours if not more. Why do I need to deal with Edsa traffic and all the feeder roads leading into it if I am simply going from one end to the other?

Elevated highways will bypass the major choke points and provide an escape route for vehicles fleeing the city centers and busy commercial business districts (CBDs).

Crucially, the government needs to address public transport. Jeepneys are outdated, city buses lack discipline and are difficult to police. Both add more vehicles on the road, which increases congestion.

We need better public rail systems. Eli Levin, the chief architect of the Philippine’s mass transit rail system, drew up a plan consisting of 12 lines all over Metro Manila.

Today, only three are finished, and Edsa MRT Line 3, the busiest, is in a very sad state of disrepair.

MRT3 alone has the capacity to handle over a million passengers daily if the right number of cars and a proper ticketing system are installed.

Fortunately, construction of LRT1 Extension is in full swing, and LRT7 has already started initial groundwork.

Together with Lines 1 and 2, where are the other eight MRT/LRT lines? Additionally, government should develop a high-speed train from one end of the country to the other, from Mindanao to Luzon and vice-versa.

Better yet, a subway/underground solution might even be more viable. This is the ultimate medium- to long-term solution to the traffic problem.

And as for the short-term solutions? In a very conservative, rigid and conformist society that is the Philippines, this becomes even more difficult.

Companies should introduce flexi-time, focus on productivity by being goal- or results-oriented rather than sticking to fixed office hours and being process oriented.

When possible, work from home once or twice a week should be encouraged. The French work 35 hours a week but productivity is great; over-time is discouraged because work-life balance is essential to the French, and I believe we can learn something from this.

If we stay home and out of the roads, that is the absolute best way to reduce traffic.

Of course, government should fix interior roads, improve drainage and road conditions, remove unnecessary obstructions such as illegally parked vehicles, obstacles and illegal structures.

We’ve heard all of this, but really, staying home, whenever possible is best. We save time, contribute nothing to pollution, and accomplish more even when working from home.