EDITORIAL - Decongestion

Cable cars are fun, they provide great views, and they don’t get stuck in traffic. The public can only wish that Arthur Tugade could finally push through with his plan, first disclosed when he assumed his post as secretary of transportation, to install a cable car service in the country.

If the plan pushes through, the pilot area, of course, will be traffic-choked Metro Manila. Tugade has cited the example of Bolivia, which is using cable cars to ease traffic gridlocks. He reiterated his proposal the other day, adding that he wanted cable car fares to be competitive with those of public utility vehicles.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, which has conducted studies on the impact of traffic jams in Metro Manila, reports that road congestion is causing P3.5 billion in lost economic opportunities every day. The figure has been revised from the previous estimate of P2.4 billion, calculated in terms of lost productivity, higher fuel consumption and logistics costs, among others.

Commuters in Metro Manila can spend up to six hours a day traveling between their home and their workplace or school. The Metro Rail Transit 3 is an unmitigated disaster. The inadequacy of the mass transport system is the overriding reason for the refusal of car owners to leave their vehicles at home. It is also the reason for the surge in ownership of motorcycles, which aggravate road congestion as well as air and noise pollution.

People in the country’s densely populated cities will welcome any measure that will ease traffic jams. The Metro Manila subway project is finally underway. Numerous proposals have been made to decongest the mega city. For the long term, mass transport modernization and infrastructure improvement are critical.

For the short-term, the government must compel bus and jeepney owners to end the boundary system and strictly implement regular schedules for picking up and unloading passengers at designated stops. The delivery and collection of shipments at the Port of Manila can use fine-tuning. The Pasig River ferry service is underutilized. Where there is no more space to build new roads, certain parts of gated subdivisions can be opened for free public use. Authorities can work on these measures while proposals such as cable car services are being pursued.