Fixing the NAIA's public transport deficit

ONE of the tweets that went viral last week was Atom Araullo's lament about the absence of public transportation options at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila. No buses, no taxis, no trains. Even transport network vehicle services (TNVS) like Grab were not available. Eventually, after almost two hours, he was able to get a Grab taxi. The many reactions on social media confirmed that the experience was not unique; for many Filipinos without a private car to pick them up on arrival at the NAIA, Atom's story was very familiar.

Many tourists arriving at our airports are left with a very bad first impression when they find that they have no other option except relatively expensive airport taxis (if any are available). Even when airport taxis are plentiful, tourists can find the cost exorbitant. For example, a trip from the NAIA to Quezon City using the yellow airport taxis has a published fare of over P2,000. If the Philippines wants to revive its tourism industry, fixing the lack of public transportation to and from airports should be one of its top priorities. Here are some suggestions.