Banning provincial buses will not solve the EDSA problem

Whoever conceptualized this idea of banning provincial buses on EDSA as a solution to easing traffic on this notoriously congested highway is either short-sighted, ignorant of the facts, cruel to ordinary Filipinos or at the very least misguided.

Policy makers know that Philippine urban traffic congestion costs the country P3.5 billion a day according to a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 2017 study. And could even grow to P5.4 billion a day by 2035. This is a major economic “productivity black-eye” since it is already costing the country P1.27 trillion a year and could grow to P1.971 trillion a year by 2035 if no strategic sustainable intervention is implemented immediately. As the figure represents about 50% of the Philippine national budget, this is a monstrously serious problem.

The notorious EDSA is a major contributor to this problem with 380,000-500,000 vehicles passing daily. I agree that if we solve ESDA traffic, we can probably reduce one-third of the urban traffic mess. All traffic solution advocates agree we have to reduce traffic on EDSA by 50%. And, MMDA is presently banning the 3,400 provincial buses partially passing EDSA and, claims that it will ease traffic-what a short-sighted, cruel, ignorant or at the very least misguided policy this is!

Firstly, targeting the provincial buses is addressing not even 1% of the total vehicle passing thru EDSA. And these buses do not even go thru the whole stretch of EDSA, the North in-bound buses only traverse Balintawak to Cubao, whereas the South in-bound traverse Magallanes to Cubao. And, as a policy they only allow passengers to alight on Pasay, Magallanes and Cubao. So, this is not the significant cause of the EDSA Traffic. More so, it will inconvenience the poor bus commuters who will have to alight in Valenzuela and Sta. Rosa.

Secondly, over 90% of vehicles traversing EDSA are private vehicles. This is where vehicle reduction policy should be directed. About 30% of these private vehicles have no business to do in Metro Manila and are just passing thru from North to South of Manila or vice-versa. We know that once the Skyway North-South connector ramp is completed (disastrously delayed during the Aquino dispensation), alternate routes freed of illegally parked vehicles are efficiently utilized, the east (by the Laguna Bay) and the west (by the Manila Bay) circumferential roads are fully competed, 30% of the EDSA traffic will disappear. So it’s best for President Duterte to instruct his Transport Secretary Art Tugade to expedite these infrastructure projects. What I mean by expedite is quadruple the equipment complement on these projects and work on these 24 hours with quadruple manpower so that these critical connectors and circumferential roads are done in 18 months. I saw these thingshappen in the Middle East so why can’t we do it here? Expedite the payment process please on government projects Mr. DOTr Secretary, sir.

Thirdly, encourage private car owners to ride the properly designed, comfortable buses (more of the point to point buses presently used on EDSA), or use the MRT (make the coaches bigger and increase their frequency to every 5 minutes) or even car pool instead of driving thru EDSA. Car owners can leave their cars in proper parking areas near MRT or Bus terminals.

Fourthly, implement the odd-even (not the present number coding) scheme on Edsa for private vehicles only. Meaning those with plate numbers ending 1,3,5,7,9 will not be allowed on EDSA on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and those ending with 2,4,6,8,0 will not be allowed on Tuesdays, Thursday or Saturdays. Surely, this will reduce private vehicles on EDSA by 30-40%. And, the car owners can take the bus, MRT or car pool as mentioned earlier.

Lastly, expedite the setting up of an integrated mass transit system. Accelerate the implementation of the newly started Subway System, expand the Subway to wider areas. I am a great fan of subways because the major delays in infrastructure in the Philippines are right-of-way issues. And, there are no such problems 50-200 feet below the ground.

As they say in Policy Science, “policy influences behaviour”. And since this administration prides itself of oozing political will, they better exercise that in solving the monstrous traffic mess by a policy of accelerated infrastructure implementation and well-thought-of short term and medium term traffic-mitigating policies. Author is country manager of X-1R, a leading performance fuel additive