Various groups express woes amid transport crisis

THE TRANSPORT crisis, along with shortages in other basic needs such as food, water, and electricity have topped media headlines in recent weeks. Media showed long lines and counted long hours of commuters standing and waiting for rides, reported bumper to bumper traffic in cities, and shared the woes of taxi and jeepney drivers who parked their vehicles to look for odd jobs.

The high price of fuel has caused numerous Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) to suspend their operations. While commuters dig deeper into their wallets as the nationwide ‘Libreng Sakay’ (free ride) program ended last June 30. Even the promised ayuda (subsidy) to drivers have yet to be fully released. 

CMFR lists various groups and their statements on how they are affected or how the transport issue can be addressed, as reported by the media from July 1 to July 11. These are groups that are directly affected or which took the time to study and suggest possible solutions to these perennial  problems.

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Move as One: Focus on public transport

On July 1, Philstar.com interviewed Robert Siy, transport economist and Move as One (Move as One) coalition convenor, who said that transport officials should focus on the experience of the commuter. “We should rate success and rate performance based on how the commuter experience is improving. And we should be measuring things like travel time, waiting time, and travel cost,” he said in the interview.

Inquirer.net on July 6 also cited Move as One and their data on the use of road space. The group stressed that while 70 percent of road users in Metro Manila rely on public transportation, they are crammed into only 22 percent of road space. Move As One also said that from 2010 to 2021, P2.8 trillion worth of resources went to road construction, widening and maintenance while only P40 billion went to projects for walking, cycling and road-based public transportation.

On July 8, Siy added in TV5’s Frontline Tonight that “there’s an underlying bias for motor vehicle use.” He explained that throughout history, cities have been friendly for cars instead of serving those who do not own such luxuries.

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UP: Review programs, initiate system reforms

Inquirer.net on July 6 correctly used the university’s agenda as the framework of their article. The university’s policy document, “#PILIpiLUNAS2022 Governance Agenda,” stated that there are key challenges that confront the Philippines’ public transport sector:

• The poor or lack of implementation of policies like the National Transport Policy that prioritizes public transportation over private transportation;
• The focus on the “visible” aspects of public transport such as infrastructure instead of focusing on “invisible” aspects such as institutional mechanisms and capacity;
• Too many agencies handling public transport concerns and thus the imperative to make them work together; and
• The difficulty in creating a harmonious relationship among key players in the sector such as the government, operators, financiers, private users, and commuters

To address the crisis, UP recommended the “creation of a unified public transport authority with a multi-stakeholder, multi-perspective approach” to address concerns of various sectors. The institution also suggested reviewing the modernization program, existing policies, and the several agencies handling the issue.

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LCSP: Fare hike fair

On July 2, The Philippine Star cited the Lawyers for Commuter’s Safety and Protection (LCSP) that said that while the fare hike will be an added burden for many riders, providing added benefits to commuters can easily offset this.

“To us, it is fair. Of course to the commuters, it will be a little burden because they would have to pay more. We expect that more PUV units will operate because of the increase,” the group added.

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PISTON: Rollback, fare hike unfelt

On July 5, ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo featured Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON, or United Organization of Drivers and Operators Nationwide) which said that the three-peso rollback in fuel prices will help but is offset by the continuous increases in gas prices which started in April and reached PHP 26. 

Pilipino Star Ngayon on July 9 followed up with the group that pointed out that they cannot feel the PHP3 rollback and the added PHP2 jeep fare. They also called for a PHP15 minimum jeep fare to counter oil price hikes and the rising prices of basic goods.

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LTOP: Venue needed to discuss

CNN Philippines’ New Day on July 4 and ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo on July 7 cited Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators ng Pilipinas (LTOP, or League of Transportation and Operators of the Philippines) and their call for a public transport conference that would be a venue to address problems and discuss possible solutions. 

They added that they hope to be heard as they know the problems on the ground because of their decades of experience on the roads.

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TPF: Fix public transport before F2F classes

GMA News and Manila Bulletin on July 10 and CNN Philippines’ News Night and Philstar.com on July 11 cited The Passenger Forum (TPF), a transport advocacy network, that pointed out how the transport crisis will affect students’ returning to face-to-face classes. Convenor Primo Morillo talked about the impact on the young people, “Malilipat lang yung stress from gadgets sa kalye… Inside their comfort zones, stress sila, ano pa yung stress nila kung hindi nila alam na makakauwi sila?” (their stress will just shift from in front of their laptops to stress from the streets. Inside their comfort zones, they are stressed, what more if they are unsure how/when they will get home?) He added that physical fatigue will add to the mental exhaustion of students.

Earlier, Philstar.com on July 1 and the Manila Bulletin on July 2 also featured PTF, which urged the new administration to provide “immediate relief and long-term solutions” to the transport crisis. The daily struggles of  Filipino commuters, according to the group, were reflected in the 2022 Gallup Report on the State of Global Workplace, which found that Philippine workers are the most stressed in Southeast Asia.

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The public expression of concerns and complaints indicates how the difficulties of transport and mobility severely affect the lives of most  citizens. Some groups have suggested solutions that if implemented could clearly provide some relief for commuters. 

Media should follow up with more coverage of the problem. This is a crucial issue the media need to report with prominence and urgency. The statements of various stakeholders can be followed up with more stories, more views, and more perspectives. Journalists should keep focused on the officials and agencies that need to develop a comprehensive strategy that involves both short- and long-term solutions, and not only a line or two of empty promises.