Poe: Traffic a ‘daily dose of indignity and torment’

TEMPORARY RELIEF TO COMMUTERS. Initial improvements were undertaken by MMDA at the Southwest Terminal in Parañaque City, after Sen. Grace Poe’s surprise visit two weeks ago. Inoperable waiting area now under renovation for future use. PHOTO FROM SEN. GRACE POE’S OFFICE

As the country’s traffic problem remains unsolved, commuters are left with no choice but to endure a “daily dosage of indignity and torment, loss of time for family and impact on health” not to mention its “massive economic cost.”

This was how Senator Grace Poe lamented this sorry state of commuters when she spoke before the United Kingdom (UK) Transport Solutions seminar held at the Discovery Suites in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday.

Poe then urged the government to ensure that its proposed solutions to the traffic problem would benefit the marginalized sector of society, who she said are mostly users of public transportation.

“Our national transportation development strategy should be anchored on a vision of promoting inclusive mobility. It should ensure safe, comfortable and accessible transport for all Filipinos especially the poor, elderly, persons with disability, residents in far-flung areas and other marginalized sectors,” she said during the event organized by the British Embassy in Manila.

Poe chairs the Senate committee on public services currently leading deliberations on the proposed granting of emergency powers for President Rodrigo Duterte to address the traffic woes. The committee is set to resume its hearing on September 22.

READ:  Poe puts emergency powers hearings on hold

Filthy terminal cleaned up. PHOTO FROM SEN. GRACE POE’S OFFICE

To facilitate and enable the country’s growing economy, the senator reiterated the need for an integrated multi-modal transportation system “where various forms of land, air and water transportation complement one another.”

“The use of all three modes of transport is quite important in an archipelagic state,” she said.

“With about 80 percent of roads occupied by private vehicles and only 20 percent devoted to public transportation, the ultimate objective in crafting effective public transportation is not to move cars but to move people, goods and services efficiently,” Poe said.

She cited a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency which showed that the economic cost of traffic congestion has increased to P3 billion per day from P2.4 billion a day in 2014.

Last August 23, the senator made an unannounced visit at the Southwest Integrated Provincial Terminal (SWIPT) in Paranaque City to witness firsthand the plight of commuters and took to task the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to introduce some improvements in the terminal.

READ: Poe visits Parañaque bus terminal to ‘witness plight of commuters’

Two weeks after, her office conducted a follow-through inspection and Poe noted basic improvements in the terminal, including the replacement of the previous makeshift wooden entry ladder to steel, cleaning up of walkway to and from the terminal, restroom maintenance, collection of earlier piled-up garbage, and planned upgrade of the inoperable waiting area, which has now been labeled “under renovation.”

She thanked MMDA’s General Manager and Officer-in-Charge Thomas Orbos for immediately acting on her observations.

“Alam natin na marami pang kailangang gawin para mapadali at mapabuti ang pang-araw-araw na buhay ng ating mga commuter. Pero nais nating pasalamatan si MMDA GM Orbos sa agarang tugon sa sitwasyon ng Southwest Terminal para pansamantalang ibsan ang kalbaryo ng mga commuter,” she said.

(We know that there are a lot of things that still need to be done to make the lives of the commuters easier and better. But I would like to think MMDA GM Orbos for the immediate response on the Southwest Terminal for the temporary relief of the commuters’ suffering.)

Bus terminal grounds cleaned up. PHOTO FROM SEN. GRACE POE’S OFFICE

Poe said the government is paying P1.2 million in monthly rental fees for the use of the SWIPT, while commuters are awaiting better facilities and services once the terminal is transferred to another site. The SWIPT, she said, is only a temporary station while waiting for the completion of a permanent terminal by the Department of Transportation.

“Ang panimulang ito ay inaasahan nating magpapatuloy at higit na mapaiigting para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan,” said the senator.

(It is hoped that this initiative would follow through and that this would be fostered for the good of our countrymen.) CDG