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Sunday, August 20, 2017
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WHILE the Philippines is being hailed as one of the fastest growing economies worldwide, traffic congestion is threatening to impair the economy. In the nation’s capital alone, it is said that we are losing about P3 billion a day and without intervention, this could rise to P6 billion a day by 2030 as projected by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Iloilo City is not as congested as Metro Manila but Ilonggos still feel the burden of traffic congestion. Because of traffic, people spend so much time on the road, become less productive and more tired, and spend less time with their families. So it affects not only the economy, but also the health and personal relations of our people.
Traffic congestion likewise aggravates the already huge contribution of the transport sector to carbon dioxide emissions. According to the National Emissions Inventory in 2012, 85 percent of air pollution in the National Capital Region alone comes from vehicles.
Now more than ever, we need sustainable and alternative modes of transportation and other mobility options. One of these is the road-sharing scheme. It could improve mobility and the quality of life of citizens as well as lessen air pollution. There’s a proposed Senate measure seeking to address these immediate traffic and transport issues through the establishment of an integrated and efficient transport system by stimulating health consciousness through a culture of walking and cycling and protecting the environment by subscribing to low-emission modes of transport.
Under the bill, the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the National Economic and Development Authority, will come up with a roadmap for national and local transportation system to be adhered to at all levels throughout the country. It will include strategies relating to parking, public transport, cycling, walking and transport infrastructure. All of these will be contained in a Sustainable Transport Action Plan, which will also set out the actions required to achieve the mode shift target and emission standards set over a certain period of time.
What our traffic planners should target is a shift towards public transportation as a primary mobility option to the public. They must also study various kinds of public transportation that are efficient and suitable to specific areas, such as a Bus Rapid Transit System and Water Ferry System.
The ultimate goal in solving traffic woes is to improve mobility and quality of life.
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