Moving forward in traffic

Moving forward is literally and figuratively hard to do, especially when it involves traffic.

And that is exactly what Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista is once again facing as he wages another hard and controversial battle to implement the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) against the strong and bull-headed public utility vehicles, jeep and bus operators who want to hang on to an iconic mode of transport that is no longer practical in a changed, fast-paced and continually modernizing world.

The iconic jeepney should be relegated as a special tourist vehicle (in limited quantity) for specific and limited use in certain areas, used primarily as a tourism and publicity tool that is no longer efficient as a mass transport vehicle.

We adopted cellular technology so fast and are also now adopting digitization that has changed the way we pay for our basic necessities. The process was a breeze in terms of communication, while the digitization journey is still experiencing some bumps in the adaptation process in terms of the payments system.

Generally, however, Filipinos are embracing that change and are benefitting from it and enjoying the convenience that new technology offers, even at the much higher cost without raising much of a howl at their increased budget for their cellphone usage and how much they have to pay in additional usage fees for the use of a digital wallet.

The cellular and  digital providers are happily raking in their profits.

It is, thus, surprising that millions of commuters are silently allowing a few special interest groups to hold us hostage to their desire to hang on to their small outdated, senior citizen- and PWD-inconvenient, and  often environment polluting vehicles – complaining of financial loss while commuters suffer physically, mentally and economically.

I had previously written that based on the latest calculation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency  as of 2021 (just as the Philippines was emerging from the COVID-19 lockdown that had halted economic activity for close to two years), the cost of traffic congestion is now estimated at P4.9 billion, or close to P5 billion a day.

Coddling these special interest groups because of their political clout come election time, our lawmakers in the upper chamber have signed a resolution  calling for the suspension of PTMP to once again listen to the concerns raised by the affected drivers and transport groups.

Based on the Senate resolution, there are still 36,217 jeepneys and PUVs that have not been consolidated under the PTMP.

Data from the DOTr, however, shows that as of April 30, 2024, the combined consolidation rate of public utility jeepneys (PUJs),  UV Express (UVE) and public utility buses (PUBs) has reached 83.38 percent, with 159,862 out of 191,730 baseline units consolidated.

From 2017 to 2024, the Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) has accredited 1,781 transport cooperatives with around 262,870 members. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) reports that it has recorded 1,088 corporations formed.

Additionally, the DOTr added that as of April 30, 2024, there are 6,090 consolidated routes for PUJs, UVEs, minibuses and PUBs. Out of 1,574 LGUs nationwide, 71 percent  have already submitted their draft Local Public Transport Route Plans (LPTRP) to DOTr/LTFRB for review and evaluation.

Furthermore, Bautista has clarified that “at this juncture, it is crucial to highlight that PTMP does not require PUV operators and drivers to immediately purchase modern PUVs upon consolidation. Instead, PUV modernization will occur gradually over the next three to four years after the consolidation deadline.”

Thus, to accommodate the owners/operators of those 36,217 jeepneys and PUVs that have not been consolidated, the alternative being presented is to put the PTMP on hold which would allow anarchy to continue, with displaced commuters shifting to the more chaotic and traffic causing motorcycle, tricycles, e-trikes, scooters and private vehicles that only further worsen the daily monstrous traffic of Mega Manila that results in productivity loss for the economy.

DOTr Secretary Bautista, a transport sector veteran who very well knows the benefit of economies of scale in an efficient mass transit system, had earlier appealed to Senate President Chiz Escudero not to suspend the PTMP, warning that  “suspending PTMP at this stage of its implementation could disrupt services for many who depend on its benefits. This could undermine progress and damage relationships with stakeholders, particularly, given that a significant percentage thereof have already consolidated.”

He also pointed out that “significant resources have already been invested in developing and implementing the PTMP. In 2024 alone, the government has already appropriated the amount of P 1.6 billion for the program. As it was furthered by the committee, the program’s utilization rate is already at  53 percent of the P 7.5 billion budget from 2018 to 2024. Suspending the program now risks wasting these investments and incurring additional costs to reestablish similar initiatives in the future,” he wrote in his letter to the Senate President.

Fortunately, the Senate resolution is meant to appeal to President Marcos to order the suspension of the PTMP, as such, the decision to suspend would still have to be upon the order of the President.

Knowing the sincerity of Transportation Secretary Bautista, whose desire is to leave a legacy of truly fixing the Philippine transport sector, he will be able to explain and convince the President to take the hard decision to rule in the best interest of the majority of  commuters who need to be taken to the future of an efficient mass transport system and not continue to be held hostage by the regressive interest of a small interest group.