WITH a bit of numeracy and ample political will, our transportation mandarins can solve our metropolitan nightmare overnight. They can use the full powers of the government to rein in the use of cars and other private vehicles with a draconian proclamation, then ask all agencies and instrumentalities of the State to implement the car regulatory policy. The load factor tells the full story. It also gives the government a compelling, moral and urgent reason to rein in car use. Let us look at the basic numbers.
A car using EDSA has, on average, one-and-a-half passengers for every trip. A public utility bus (PUB) carries at least 53 passengers during peak hours and at least 35 during off-peak ones. There is no need for debates on which transport mode is more efficient. Yet, at any given time on EDSA, buses at the so-called busway are outnumbered 10 to one by private vehicles. And the apt description of the current traffic management policy of the government is this: car-centric. Or pandering to car users instead of the more efficient mass carriers.
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