HOTSPOT
Perhaps the single biggest factor behind the epic failures and inadequacies of so-called modernization plans for transportation is this: the abject lack of commuter representation in all levels and aspects of policy-making.
Yes, there are reportedly consultations at various stages. But the decision-making is ultimately in the hands of non-commuters or, worse, anti-commuters.
When we say representation, I’m not talking about token representation. It should mean democratic representation proportional to the percentage of the public who are commuters. With the Philippines being a majority-commuter country, the main aspects, decision-makers, and beneficiaries of transport policies should be commuters.
The crisis in Metro Manila’s transportation today is the logical outcome of having little to zero representation of commuters in the relevant government agencies and bodies. At the same time, these same government agencies and bodies are dominated or monopolized by non-commuters who have no idea or concern about the adverse effects to commuters of transportation and traffic policies and programs.
For instance, if commuters were directly involved in the planning for the EDSA Carousel, which supposedly caters primarily to them, a lot of problems would have been addressed before approval or implementation. Commuter representatives would have advocated easier access to stations, as well as the proper location of stations themselves.
The serious questions leveled against the jeepney phaseout program come not just from jeepney drivers and operators, but from commuters who depend on them and who support their cause.
Commuters and passengers should also have seats on the boards and management of the LRT, MRT, and PNR. Ditto for government agencies and bodies regulating land, air, and sea transportation.
Bikers too should be represented because bicycles ideally and actually connect mass transport modes. No modern transportation system can exist without protected bike lanes, and without policies promoting and protecting bikers and bicycle use.
The President’s call for a “holistic approach” to transportation and traffic woes would have credibility if or when democratic representation is guaranteed in the crafting of such an approach. Commuter representation would consequently make sure that consultations are not tokenistic, and more importantly, limit or check the overweening influence of commercial and other privileged interests in the search for solutions.
There should be a new vision or aspiration for transportation in the Philippines. We must challenge and replace car ownership and traffic as signs of personal success and social progress.
A prosperous people and better Philippines would have an affordable, accessible, reliable, comfortable, clean, safe, and future-ready public *mass* transportation system to connect students to schools, workers to places of work, city to city, city to province, and island to island. This is not impossible to achieve, but only if we re-imagine personal and social metrics of success, and consequently reclaim transportation policy away from private interest and bring it back to public control to serve public interests.
Commuters should not just wait for the President and other leaders to change their minds regarding representation. We should organize ourselves: form commuter unions, bus riders’ unions, train riders’ unions. Existing organizations in schools, workplaces, factories, and communities should add mass transport as a major advocacy. Hopefully, one or several commuters’ party-list groups would also get elected to Congress.
We should also demand from political parties and aspirants for public office their plans for reducing private cars and traffic in the nation’s streets, and for the promotion and development of mass transport. We should demand disclosure of campaign finance donations from private motorists’ lobby groups, car manufacturers, and other interests causing or benefiting from the sordid transportation and traffic mess today.
Yes, being a commuter in the Philippines is tiring and thankless. But it need not be a permanently bad situation. There’s a lot that should and can be done, big or small, now and in the long run. Cynicism, apathy, and indifference obviously don’t solve our problems, and often only embolden anti-commuters and non-commuters to misrepresent us while they monopolize public roads and public policy.
There’s no stopping us from not just dreaming but building and enjoying the best mass transportation system in the region. It starts with a commitment to come together, organize, study, campaign, and lay claim to democratic representation in transportation policy-making.
Hopefully and possibly within our lifetimes, we will be able to bring back the public in public works and public transportation, with a new system that honors, enables, and moves us in our millions.