Is public transportation sufficient?

ON Monday, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista was quoted as saying that "we have enough [public transport] capacity," based on reports submitted to him by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the regulator of road-based public transportation in the Philippines. Not surprisingly, the immediate public reaction, including from the media, was one of skepticism and disbelief.

It is unfortunate that such sweeping statements are made without evidence or hard data. Because the LTFRB is tasked to ensure that public transport serves the needs of the public, a crucial part of its responsibility is to collect and analyze information on the adequacy and quality of public transport services and to report on it — the LTFRB cannot achieve its objectives in the absence of such analysis.