Constructive dialogue needed to fix transport problems

Recently, I had a meeting with a client who had been stuck in Singapore for three years due to the pandemic and was now on a well-deserved vacation in Cebu. We discussed how Metro Cebu has changed since her last visit, and I pointed out that things are not always as they seem.

Despite the new buildings and infrastructure, the quality of life for city residents has not improved much. We both agreed that one of the main factors affecting the residents' lives is the quality of the public transportation system.

We compared the mass transport system between Metro Cebu and Singapore, two cities located in Southeast Asia but worlds apart in terms of infrastructure and system. Singapore's mass transport system is one of the best in the world, as reported by McKinsey in its 2018 report "Elements of success: Urban transportation systems of 24 global cities." Singapore scored well in transport efficiency, safety, and affordability, key to its success being good governance that invests in the mobility of its citizens. It ensures that public transport fares are affordable for all citizens, with every journey subsidized by more than $1.

In contrast, the issue of public transportation in the Philippines has always been a matter of competing interests between tradition and so-called modernization. Filipinos tend to blame the lowly PUJ drivers for allegedly trying to hold on to the old ways and shunning government efforts at modernization.

This week's public transportation strike again brings this conflict to the fore, with over 100,000 PUVs in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Bicol Region, and Cagayan De Oro expected to participate. Pundits are quick to blame PUV drivers and their so-called "communist" instigators for the strike.

There is no doubt the jeepney must eventually go, as it is, for one, badly designed. Design experts cite the insufficient distance between the steering wheel and driver's seat causing restraint to the driver's mobility, the limited height of the windshield blocking the driver's line of sight, and the overall vehicle measurements not being suitable for drivers or passengers. The jeepney is also a waste of gas due to its bad aerodynamics. Many jeepneys are old, leading to more expensive operations and repairs compared to newer vehicles. Their noisy diesel engines also contribute to massive pollution.

Admittedly, the country's public transportation system evolved due to the challenging post-World War II circumstances, forcing us to improvise to meet our mobility needs. But we now have the means to modernize our public transportation system. Yet while we can tolerate public funds being squandered on frivolous expenses, we easily find irritating the complaints from our neglected public transport stakeholders who are largely being left to fend for themselves.

The government and public transport stakeholders should engage in constructive dialogue to develop solutions that address the challenges drivers face. I hope the Marcos administration does not adopt the tone and approach of its Department of Education which recently made a statement regarding the transport strike. The DepEd said: “Topmost in mind is the national agenda, that should be supported by a whole-of-nation approach, to maximize the learning recovery of our learners.” Cringe. Worse, it added: "The Department of Education will not kowtow to communists, their allies, and supporters."

Has the department run out of good researchers and speech writers? Ironically, this is the department that asked Congress for a sizable intelligence fund. As the department for the education of our kids, it ought to set an example of tactful and judicious language, rather than functioning as a politicized entity that levels accusations grounded in prejudice and impulse.