Some thoughts and reflections on transport and the Middle East crisis
Much has been said and written about the ongoing crisis brought about by the US and Israel attacking Iran and the latter retaliating. The prices of fuel have risen rapidly over the past weeks. Consequently, the prices of commodities have also risen. The Philippines is still very much dependent of fossil fuels for transportation with most travel using road-based transport. Even public transportation relies heavily on fossil fuels as buses and jeepneys are mostly using diesel engines. Even paratransit such as trikes and motorcycle taxis use gasoline.
While the energy mix in the country has become more diversified with renewables now having a substantial share, majority of power is produces using coal and natural gas. And so e-powered vehicles are also ultimately dependent on these fuels. Could we have had better transport that could have made our cities more resilient in light of the conflict in the Middle East? Probably, and if we followed and implemented the plans for mass transit systems that were laid out decades ago. Of course, this is already moot and academic given the current situation. The counterfactuals though point to better commuting conditions if projects have not been delayed or shelved.
A colleague and I were just discussing about how MRT 7 could have contributed to the reduction of car use along the Commonwealth Avenue corridor if it was completed according to the original schedule. That was 2019. Even with delays including the impact of the pandemic, it could have been completed a few years ago. If it was operational in 2023, commuters could have already shifted to rail from both private and public road-based transport modes. There was also actually a proposal for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line along Commonwealth about 2 decades ago. That could have been constructed and operational ahead of Line 7 and could have already disrupted commuting preferences along the corridor if it were operated as a true BRT.
There’s just a lot of opportunities already missed that could have alleviated the fuel crisis we have now. Maybe we are really heading towards a bigger crisis when all these price increases lead to a more sweeping increase in the prices of commodities? We hope it doesn’t come to that but we seem to be helpless in this situation where we are caught unprepared for a war we are have nothing to do with.
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The unfinished Ungka flyover in Iloilo City
The Ungka flyover generated much controversy in Iloilo not just because it remain unfinished but the reasons why it is not completed. I assume that since this is a government project, budget is not really an issue. Projects like this can always have allocations as long as it sticks to the budget or any reasonable and justifiable adjustments (read: additional funds) for its completion. However, there are technical rather than budget issues that need to be addressed and which have major implications on the budget if retrofitting is required and undertaken. Otherwise, the capacity of the overpass is compromised and it will not function as originally planned. Following are photos I took last year coming from the airport to the city.
I decided to finish and publish this now as there is news that construction recently resumed. Hopefully, the issues have been addressed and this long delayed project can be completed to help alleviate congestion in the area.
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The odd cyclist?
A couple weeks ago, we spotted this guy on a bicycle on our way to the office via Marcos Highway. It was easy to spot him along the highway as he pedaled along the middle lanes instead along the curbside or on the sidewalk. He was also a bit oddly dressed and there were some accessories to his bicycle.
The flag and other accessories on him and his bike are probably there to enhance safety. Motorists can easily see him for these.
The signs state “Kasangbahay” and “servants.” The person is probably a worker on his way to his workplace.
I remember seeing another cyclist in a Spiderman costume usually pedaling along Ortigas Avenue Extension. But that was pre-COVID-19 and I have not seen him (or was it a her) post-pandemic. These people add something amusing to the commute. We just hope they can travel safely every time.
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At long last, the Cebu BRT is finally running
After more than two decades, the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is finally operational (partly). I think I wrote about the BRT numerous times here. I was involved in the social marketing of the BRT to major cities almost 2 decades ago. At that time, only Cebu City was receptive to the idea as Metro Manila was more engrossed with railway projects that also took much gestation time. I was also involved in the pre-FS for Metro Manila BRT’s so I can say this has a lot of history and political economy about it.
Here is a report from Rappler via their official Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1J3Fpmar16/
I already look forward to the next trip to Cebu to have a first hand experience of the BRT there. I wanted to share photos from the internet here but perhaps I can wait til I have my own photos to share.
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On reducing deaths due to road crashes
Following is a link to an article on the increase in road crash-related deaths in Singapore. The city state prides itself as one of the safest places in terms of transportation yet road crash deaths recently hit a 10-year high.
From the article:
“Cellphone-related driving violations surged 39.1% to 4,193 cases, the report showed. Motorcyclists, who make up just 15% of Singapore’s vehicle population, accounted for 54.8% of all traffic accidents and 53% of fatalities.
Speeding violations jumped 25.9% to 253,550 cases, equivalent to roughly 695 motorists caught daily. While speeding-related fatal accidents dipped from 46 to 41, red-light running accidents surged 27.1% to 122, resulting in seven deaths. Drink-driving accidents fell from 166 to 156, but the number of fatal drink-driving accidents held steady at 12 in both years…
…”Road safety requires a culture of mutual respect and graciousness among all road users,” the police force said. “Simple acts of courtesy, such as maintaining a safe following distance of at least three seconds, giving way to pedestrians, reducing speed near junctions and being patient during peak hours, can create a better road culture.” “
What can we learn from Singapore’s experience? Are we capable and equipped to improve road safety in the Philippines? Can we be more courteous, respectful and gracious in the way we drive or behave as road users?
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On the dangers of drowsy driving
Here’s another quick share of an article on road safety. This one is about drowsy driving, which is said to be more dangerous than drunk driving. Drowsy here is equated to being sleepy – for whatever reasons may have led the driver to be drowsy. Perhaps lack of sleep, fatigue or being simply tired, or maybe due to food or medication he/she took before driving.
Here is the link to the article, which has a link to the report referred to in the article:
https://www.ghsa.org/news/drowsy-driving-new-data-analysis
From the article:
“…several strategies to combat this dangerous behavior:
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Start with prevention: Promoting healthy sleep habits for everyone – especially for teens as they begin their driving journey – is essential. Drivers should practice good “sleep hygiene,” which includes sleeping in a quiet, cool, device-free environment and avoiding caffeine or alcohol before bed.
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Vehicle technology that’s available now: Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features can monitor for telltale signs of drowsiness (like yawns or long blinks) and issue visual, auditory or haptic alerts to tell drivers to take a break. Notably, none of the current systems prevent a driver from ignoring them and continuing to drive, or from turning them off entirely.
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Change the culture at work and school: Employers should implement responsible scheduling and travel policies to minimize fatigue. School districts can consider shifting high school start times later in the day to help teens get more rest. One study of high school student drivers found significantly lower crash rates with a later school start time.
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Build more, smarter infrastructure: Infrastructure changes such as rest stops, rumble strips and cable median barriers can help prevent drowsy driving, wake drivers up or reduce the severity of a run-off-the-road crash.”
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On at-grade crossings and footbridges
Here’s a quick share of an article on how at-grade crossings are generally better and preferred over footbridges:
When Footbridges Cost Lives and At-Grade Crossings Save Them
The article effectively articulates the case for at-grade crossings and presents the facts and references in support of these crossings. I will only add here that context is still important along with an appreciation or understanding of the volume of traffic and occupancy of vehicles along the roads. Commonwealth Avenue, for example, requires footbridges but there should be better designs for these footbridges than the current ones along this highway. I think we lack good designs that we can refer to and this leads to a summary dismissal of footbridges where they are actually most suitable.
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A quick note on road safety parks
A new road safety park is to open today in Muntinlupa City in Metro Manila. While the objectives of the park appear to be clear enough to most people, I’ve seen some unusual reactions vs. the park. Instead of stating my piece about this and road safety parks, I will just share a couple of links on similar facilities in two countries in our region where road safety is strongly advocated not just by private citizens but by their governments:
Road Safety Park in Singapore: https://www.torque.com.sg/features/singapores-road-safety-community-park-was-built-30-years-ago/
Traffic Garden (Taman Lalu Lintas) in Malaysia: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BF8ruywsZ/
You can also try to Google other road safety parks or gardens in other countries to see other examples of these and how other cities have utilized the parks to promote road safety especially among children. It is better to learn about these parks and perhaps recommend how these can help rather than start shooting from the hip to discredit these and their proponents.
[Note: The MMDA has a road safety park in Manila that is patterned after the Malaysian and Singapore examples.]
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On road clearing and towing of illegally parked vehicles
The MMDA conducted road clearing operations along Katipunan Avenue this Tuesday. To be exact, they towed illegally parked vehicles in the area. We saw a fleet of tow trucks lined along C.P. Garcia Avenue prior to the operations.
There are many illegally parked vehicles along Katipunan and the side streets to it. It is partly due to parking minimums (as stipulated in the National Building Code) not being followed and mainly because of the dependence on cars and high car ownership attributed to residents there.
Operations like this by the MMDA or LGUs are important because spaces need to be reclaimed especially for pedestrians. There is of course their main objective of easing traffic along roads whose capacities were decreased by on street parking. Do these streets need to be redesigned? Maybe but not now considering the resources required for transformation. It’s not as easy as the examples being peddled on social media.
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Landmarks: the Jaro Belltower
Here are some photos of a landmark in Iloilo that served as the reference for many jeepney routes. I recall from childhood that we rode the jeepney from Cabatuan and transferred here to another jeepney bound for city proper. Going home, we Di the reverse. We also hopped on a jeepney here to go to other towns like Leganes or farther districts of the city such as Molo or Arevalo. Of course, it’s different now after all the rerouting of public transport. Provincial jeepneys now terminate at the periphery of the city and no longer reach Jaro.
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Caught (up) in traffic 