Expand public transportation, road networks to ease traffic —expert

A transportation expert said the country needs to look into expanding public transportation and road networks to alleviate the transportation crisis in Metro Manila, according to a report by Malou Manghas on Investigative Documentaries.

"Hindi sapat [ang public transportation ngayon]...Dapat may increasing and corresponding expansion of...public transport and road networks," Primitivo Cal, a transportation engineering and construction consultant, said.

According to the report, there is an increasing number of commuters and a lack of public transportation to accommodate them.

Take for instance, the mass rail transport (MRT) tries to accommodate 300,000 passengers per day, while the light rail transport (LRT) tries to fit 200,000 passengers a day.

Although there are other modes of transportation such as the bus, jeep, tricycle, and pedicab, riding a private car is the most flexible option in moving from one place to another, according to Regin Regidor, a professor from the National Center for Transportation Studies at UP Diliman.

"Kung nakakotse ka, ang sinasabi natin, pwedeng flexible ka. Kung matrapik dito, pwede ibang ruta ang daanan mo pag kabisado mo," Regidor said.

He quoted recent statistics from the Asia Development Bank (ADB) that described Metro Manila as the "most congested city in Asia".

In the recent year, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic operations chief Bong Nebrija observed a rise in new car sales and lack of road networks in Metro Manila.

"Every day, nadadagdagan tayo ng new car sales. Last year, ang estimate namin is around 400,000 new car sales all over the Philippines. 25 percent niyan napupunta sa Metro Manila. So continuous rise ng new car sales tapos lack of road networks so that's the greatest mismatch," he said. —Angelica Yang/LDF, GMA News