Philippine public transport’s route to sustainability

When it comes to public transport, Filipinos commuting day to day could see why the country, particularly its capital, is lagging behind. Apart from dealing with the notorious traffic in the metro, commuters are faced with long queues and overcrowding in public transit as well as limited spaces for walkability. Add to that the rise of transport costs when driven by fuel price hikes, which not only becomes an issue for commuters but also for the drivers of these public utility vehicles (PUVs).

Manila placed 56^th out of 60 cities in the public transit sub-index of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index (UMRI) 2022 by Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California, Berkeley. The subindex measured a city’s performance on public transit density, efficiency, and utilization rate. Manila ranked 58^th in the UMRI main ranking.

While the UMRI recognizes the existence of several modes of transportation in the Philippine capital, such as jeepneys and metro lines, as well as the attention put forth towards cycling, the report believes that “Manila’s public transit system has room for improvement in speed, wait times, station density, and affordability.”

Pollution and congestion are also among the issues observed by the UMRI report concerning Manila. “But a low level of car ownership should help prevent these problems from worsening,” it said.

In addition, it pointed out the “poor quality of roads” in the metro, and there is “limited regional connectivity provided by the national road network.”

Meanwhile, in sustainable mobility, Manila placed 48^th out of 60 cities in last year’s UMRI.

“For developing cities, including Jakarta and Manila, sustainable mobility is less of a priority and motorized vehicles are likely to remain the most common transit option,” the report noted.

With the ongoing issues in the public transport system, how far is Manila or even the rest of the Philippines towards making sustainable transportation accessible for Filipinos? There are several solutions seen to integrate sustainability in public transport. Before these initiatives get implemented effectively, however, some issues still have to be addressed first.

Among the ways seen to make transport sustainable are walking and cycling, and further use of public transport. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on governments to build up investments in public transport, cycling, and walking, which it considered “inherently healthy and sustainable,” provided that the safety of the road for people is ensured.

“We must put people, especially the most vulnerable, at the heart of our decision-making about how we move in the world,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, director of WHO’s Department of Social Determinants of Health. “Walking, cycling, and public transport — when they are safe — can contribute to making people healthy, cities sustainable, and societies equitable.”

Active mobility

Walking and cycling, which are forms of active mobility, became more vital modes of mobility during the lockdowns back in 2020, as restrictions were put in place concerning public transport. And many Filipinos do want cities and municipalities to enable this mobility. A survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations in late 2020 showed that 87% of the surveyed Filipinos agreed that prioritizing pedestrians, bicycles, and public transportation over private vehicles would make roads in cities and municipalities better.

Bicycle usage among Filipinos continued these past few years, and some places have begun carving out space for bikes on existing roads. But the work to make spaces safe for cycling should carry on.

“Initial gains have been achieved with the completion of almost 500 km of bike lanes constructed by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),” according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). “The next step would be to implement bike lanes on a grander and integrated approach involving the local governments.”

Last month, the DoTr officially turned over the Bike Lane Master Plan for Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government units (LGUs). The master plan, according to DoTr Assistant Secretary for Road and Infrastructure James Andres Melad, pictures a “comprehensive network of interconnected bike lanes that will traverse bustling streets, connecting neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and recreational areas.”

The Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 also stated that “pedestrians and cyclists will be accorded highest priority in the hierarchy of road users.” However, the Move As One Coalition pointed out that the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2024 “does not reflect this significant transportation policy statement.”

The transport group said that the needs of 94% of Filipinos who do not have private vehicles were disregarded in the 2024 NEP.

The DoTr and its attached agencies have a proposed budget of P214.3 billion in the NEP 2024. But the Move As One Coalition noted that the budget for active transport, along with PUV modernization, was slashed.

“The Coalition calls on the government to focus on the needs of the 94% of Filipinos who do not own private vehicles by including safer pedestrian lanes, protected bike lane networks, service contracting, and PUV modernization program in the 2024 NEP,” the group said in a statement.

Furthering public transit, electrification

Public transit, when efficient and safe, is generally considered environmental-friendly for it can accommodate more passengers compared to private cars; thus the significance of scaling such vehicles up.

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said last month that the DoTr is “giving focus on public transport so that private car owners would prefer public transportation.”

Some of the projects that the government agency is currently focusing on are the EDSA Busway, Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, and Active Transport, among others.

While encouraging the use of public transportation and active mobility is considered sustainable given its reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that thus helps the environment, so is the electrification of public vehicles.

Public transport, according to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), is seen as a “low-hanging fruit” for electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Because this sector presents the biggest emissions mitigation potential.

DoTr’s Mr. Bautista had said in May that they are working on a road map for the public transport system’s transition to EVs.

But ESCAP noted the shift to zero-emission vehicles could take a while. Hence, the organization considered that “stringent emissions standards on internal combustion engine vehicles and improvement of operational efficiency could be employed as interim measures of emissions reductions.”

“Governance and coordination issues are of prime concern,” ESCAP also noted, “as many organizations have overlapping authority for urban mobility and there are no common EV regulations, codes, and standards (RCS) to ensure a reliable and safe ecosystem for EV products and services.”

As such, in this EV shift, the organization believed that multisector collaboration among ministries and stakeholders in relevant industries such as transport, energy, manufacturing, and finance as well as ‘visionary’ leaders with similar aspiration as the citizens would be needed for carrying out “a well-coordinated and cost-effective effort, led from the top.” — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio