Redemption

Mega Manila is competitive only for the dubious title of having the worst traffic in the world. Much as our officials might try to downplay this, commuters know the score. It is hardly possible to plan one’s day in this urban tangle using public transport.

I was born in this city. I take pride in knowing all its nooks and crannies, to slither about getting to where I want to go. Today, all that home course knowledge is gone. Traffic is constantly tied up in knots.

There used to be a certain rhythm in the way things moved in this urban tangle. One could correctly anticipate when traffic flow along Edsa would be least congested or how much time it will take to get from one point to another and back. That is not possible now.

It is not only traffic flow that has reached crisis levels. Partly as a consequence of slow movement in the streets, transport options increasingly narrow.

Forget about the MRT-3. This system was a failure from the start. Until we are able to reduce interval times between trains to two minutes, this system contributes to the problem instead of solving it. In its present state, that interval time will never be achieved. Being so badly designed, the stations will be as inaccessible as ever.

The only way to save our commuter rail system from its present state is to privatize it completely. Our conglomerates have grown such financial clout this becomes thinkable.

The only real addition to our urban road space is the Skyway, which San Miguel built after a decade of delay due to bureaucratic resistance. San Miguel is proposing building a second level on Edsa with Lego-like components that may be snapped into place quickly. Our bureaucrats would have nothing of it.

So far, the only redemption that has come for our beleaguered commuters comes in the form of Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS). This involves coupling rapid digital information technologies with actual transport assets on the road. This produces vastly improved efficiency.

The benefits from TNVS have been delayed – again, by an immovable bureaucracy. For years, our transport authorities have been “studying” the service to no end. They have restricted the number of companies that may participate in the “research.” They have hedged on the provision of motorcycle (MC) taxis on the always valid ground of “commuter safety.”

The only real possibility to maximize the use of our roads and improve commuter movement has been stalled – possibly even by some of the service providers themselves to keep their market dominance.

Recently, during a call on them by Grab Philippines, President Bongbong Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez promised decisive action to prioritize legalization of MC taxis and reform existing TNVS regulations. Grab praised the support committed by the two leaders, saying that the growth of the TNVS sector will create numerous job opportunities and improve the commuting experience.

Grab shares that from 2019 to 2021, their operation helped ease unemployment by 1.1 percent. The company’s on-demand rides and delivery business helped create 100,000 new livelihood opportunities.

There is every reason to wish the rapid expansion of the TNVS sector. International studies show our economic losses from traffic congestion run into the billions daily.

Even with rapid legislation and reforms in existing regulations, we are not assured the existing TNVS companies can rise to their market potentials. Even today, some of these companies are experiencing declining revenues and facing management issues that has led to their drivers leaving their jobs.

It is not only regulations that need to be perfected. The TNVS companies will need to perfect their business models, improve on their operational ethos and raise management quality.

One of the major TNVS players (not Grab), for instance, was found to be retaining a significant number of drivers who possess only non-professional drivers’ licenses. This is in stark violation of existing regulations. They run counter to the company’s loudly proclaimed commitment to regulatory compliance and passenger safety.

Despite the high profile it tries hard to maintain, this company is said to be suffering from both an exodus of riders as well as passengers. The exodus begins to show in its earnings.

The exodus follows a series of questionable management decisions. Instead of empowering its drivers and providing utmost safety for the commuting public, the company’s operations appear to compromise both. Some in the industry suspect that the extensive public relations campaign is meant to serve the visibility goals of the company’s chief executive rather than improve commuter confidence in the company’s services.

Lately, despite flagging earnings, the company announced it was expanding into four-wheel taxi services. At first glance, this seems to be another risky management decision. Not a few suspect the announcement was meant to snow under the other labor and service quality issues plaguing the company.

Even as the regulatory framework is being “reformed” to encourage the growth of the TNVS sector, our policymakers need to look at the actual operations of existing companies. Even as there is an urgent need to be filled, the sustainability of first movers in this industry must also be considered.

Our commuters may be desperate, but they are not about to yield on the quality of service they expect. There is a way to grow the TNVS sector rapidly to meet urgent needs without sacrificing professionalism.

As in all businesses, consumer confidence is a valued but vulnerable thing.