MANILA, Philippines — The recent study tagging Metro Manila as having the second-worst traffic in the world only affirmed the assertion of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) that the nation’s capital is suffering from a mass transport crisis.
This was the declaration of Renato Reyes, Bayan’s secretary-general, after location technology specialist TomTom (TOM2) released its Traffic Index 2019, placing Metro Manila as the world’s Top 2 in traffic congestion with drivers expecting to spend an average of 71 percent extra travel time stuck in traffic.
Traffic Index 2019 is a report detailing the traffic situation in 416 cities in 57 countries.
“Clearly the proliferation of private vehicles and the lack of a planned and coordinated, public mass transport system, has given rise to this awful traffic situation,” Reyes pointed out in a statement.
In October 2019, Bayan claimed that a mass transport crisis has been gripping Metro Manila as commuters were having serious problems getting from one point to another. This is around the same time that the region’s three train systems – Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2, and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 – had usually experienced mechanical glitches with LRT 2’s Santolan to Anonas Stations even becoming temporarily inaccessible.
READ: Metro Manila now suffering a mass transport crisis – Bayan
Officials of the Duterte administration disagreed with Bayan’s assertion, subsequently leading to Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo’s taking on a challenge to commute from his house to Malacañang on a Friday.
READ: Cause of delay: Commuters irked as Panelo interrupts jeepney ride
“Government should stop denying the crisis and should come up with a long term mass transport plan that is not tailored for big business. The government should invest in public mass transport and not rely too much on private investors out to make a profit,” Reyes said.
“A 10-year public mass transport plan is needed to address the worsening traffic that has tormented consumers for years now,” he added.