Wanted: Smarter mobility
Credit to Author: ROBERT SIY| Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2019 16:24:20 +0000
I read recently that Filipinos lead the world in internet use (about nine hours per day per user) and in social media use (4.17 hours daily per user), according to the Digital Global Overview (January 2017 survey). I thought to myself a large subset of these users must be Filipinos waiting for hours in queues or bus stops for their rides or sitting in traffic as their vehicles crawl slowly through congested urban roads.
Being at the top of the rankings in social media use (more than 30 minutes ahead of the next country—Brazil– in the rankings) is not so much because Filipinos have more leisure time, but rather that the daily routine of many Filipinos is taken up by difficult commutes, during which social media may be the only way to cope with the onerous and exhausting travel (which is why wifi on public transport vehicles and at terminals and bus stops is a real blessing). Just observe people standing in queues to enter MRT3 or waiting for their turn to board a UV Express van or finding a Grab car or Angkas motorcycle to pick them up–most are active on their mobile phones.
Instead of information technology (IT) enabling Filipinos to endure the long and tiring commute, we should be tapping IT to make transportation more efficient—shaving off travel and queuing times and making our journey more reliable and predictable. Here is one way to do this.
Modern jeepneys and new buses, including P2P buses, are required by the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to have global positioning system (GPS)-enabled vehicle tracking devices, and to register these devices so that LTFRB can track each vehicle in real time. Many bus operators are already using GPS tracking systems to monitor their fleet and manage operations.
With a control center to capture and process the GPS signals of public transport vehicles, LTFRB can track the speed and location of all buses and jeepneys. It could share this information with local governments, public and metropolitan authorities such as the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
This type of monitoring system, already common in many cities worldwide, will also help motivate good driving behavior because there will be an electronic record of how each jeepney or bus was operated every day of the week. When a driver knows that his/her route, time at bus stops and driving speed are being recorded by the LTFRB, there is less temptation to resort to bad driving habits.
If the real-time locations of buses and modern jeepneys can be released as “open data”, software programmers could develop different apps that could immediately benefit the riding public. Commuters can track their buses on their mobile phones. Bus stops and mobile phones can display the expected arrival times of different buses, enabling commuters to have more efficient use of their time and more predictable travel.
Traffic signal systems can be programmed to detect when public utility vehicles (PUVs) are approaching an intersection; buses and jeepneys can enjoy “priority”, so that PUVs spend less time waiting for red traffic lights to turn green.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), LTRFB and local governments will have daily information on the supply of public transport—data which every public transport regulator and planner needs to perform his/her work properly. At present, because of the absence of real-time monitoring of the public transport fleet, the LTFRB has little knowledge of the actual supply of public transport vehicles.
While the LTFRB may have data on the number of franchises it has granted, without a vehicle tracking system, the LTFRB has no information on the number of vehicles in operation at any time and the level of transport service being offered to the riding public. The actual number of vehicles being deployed and operated by a transport firm or cooperative may be much less than the number of vehicles authorized under its franchise.
In addition, having granular data on PUV operations enables government agencies and LGUs to prepare better transport plans. Decision makers can visualize and analyze the supply of public transport, understand where imbalances exist, and plan how different transport modes can be better integrated.
Clearly, there are huge gains in ensuring full compliance with regulations to register GPS devices of public utility vehicles and monitor the operations of those vehicles. A fully equipped control center at the LTFRB, which could be operational in less than two years’ time, will enhance passenger convenience, promote road safety, and enable more effective transport planning. This is “low hanging fruit” that can be delivered within the Duterte administration.
When we think of infrastructure that can give us better mobility, we need to include IT systems that enable planners, operators, drivers and the private sector to provide more efficient, safe and reliable services to commuters.
One day, when Filipinos are no longer world leaders in social media and internet use, I hope it is because we are spending less time standing in public transport queues or sitting in slow moving traffic. It should be because the Philippines has become one of the world leaders in using IT to improve mobility.
Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, city and regional planner, and public transport advocate. He can be reached at mobilitymatters.ph@yahoo.com or followed on Twitter @RobertRsiy
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