SENATOR Grace Poe has lamented what she called the dismal performance of the Department of Transportation under Secretary Arthur Tugade in addressing the country’s traffic woes as she scored the inclusion of questionable projects in the DOTr’s proposed emergency powers package.
“I want to be kind, but their performance is really lacking and inadequate. They keep on harping on emergency powers, but they can accomplish a lot even without emergency powers,” said Poe, who heads the Senate committee on public services which is conducting hearings on the emergency powers package.
But Poe said it is incumbent upon them to extensively scrutinize the DOTr’s plans to ensure that these will have direct impact on the alleviation of transport woes.
Poe’s lament coincided with the DOTr’s declaration it has forged ahead in addressing some of the transport woes during the first 100 days of the Duterte administration.
“Our job in the DOTr is not only [to look after] traffic; we also handle aviation and maritime [and have] made progress in the last 100 days,” Tugade said.
Poe had scheduled the fourth public hearing on Oct. 12 to clarify the government’s plan to implement critical transportation projects.
“In the interest of transparency, we will be conducting a fourth hearing to give the DOTr an opportunity to present in detail how they plan to implement certain projects and an opportunity to explain some of their projects, which apparently have nothing to do with traffic decongestion,” stressed Poe.
In a recent speech before members of the European and Filipino business community, Poe said she was forced to call for a fourth hearing for the DOTr to explain “why some of their projects, which apparently have nothing to do with traffic decongestion, are included in their proposals.”
Poe said: “While I agree on the urgency to pass a transport emergency powers legislation, I have some reservations as to the list of projects DOTr presented during the hearings… For example, they seek emergency powers to procure license plates and establish a national emission-testing center. Do they need to wait for an emergency powers law before they can accomplish this?
“How do they intend to implement the BRT [Bus Rapid Transfer] line project along Edsa? If they construct a BRT line there, will this not create a bottleneck as it reaches Shaw boulevard, because there are only two lanes for vehicles on each side?
“Will the BRT use existing city buses or will they require a new type of bus for this project?”
Poe added the panel wants to be informed about two proposed bus rapid transit system projects to traverse Manila City Hall to Quezon City and another from Edsa to Ayala and Ortigas to Naia which cost about P44.23 billion, expected to be implemented in three years with the extra powers.
Poe also called the attention of the DOTr for failing to provide proposals for the development of ports outside of Metro Manila to reduce the number of cargo trucks plying the capital.
“The list of projects submitted by the DOTr also provides for port decongestion in Manila, but does not include any proposed project for Subic and Batangas ports,” she said.
“Our traffic problems are by no means confined to land-based transportation. We also have to deal with port congestion resulting in slower movement of goods by sea, and air traffic problems causing flight delays,” said Poe.
“We cannot simply grant emergency powers and say, “bahala na” or “it is up to you.” It is incumbent upon us to supply strict public scrutiny on how the power granted to them will be used.”
At the House of Representatives, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez was equally hesitant to grant Tugade and his team blanket authority for the next three years.
“We are okay with emergency powers but they have to define the areas where they will need emergency powers. We cannot just give them shotgun emergency powers,” he said.
Aside from demanding the specific scope of the emergency powers sought by the DOTr, lawmakers also raised concerns over the previous ties of transportation officials with private corporations that have stakes in government projects.
House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said Tugade and Undersecretary Noel Kintanar were both former executives of the contractors involved in the Metro Rail Transit-Light Railway Transit Common Station project.
“I have to be very straightforward with my concern. This concerns the Ayalas. Two of the executives – Secretary Tugade and Usec. Kintanar are from Ayala firms or have done business with the Ayalas. They might favor the Ayalas’ business interests. That’s not right,” Suarez said.
Alvarez also expressed similar concerns over Kintanar, who previously served as assistant vice president of Ayala Corp.; Undersecretary for Air Operations Bobby Lim, formerly country manager of the International Air Transport Association; and Undersecretary Felipe Judan, who has a shipping business with Ramon Ang’s Petron as customer.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency, one of the Philippines’ major official development assistance partners, estimated that daily gridlock cost the economy approximately P2.4 billion in 2012 and that losses could worsen to P6 billion by 2030 if the government fails to provide immediate relief to motorists and commuters.
“If I could describe the traffic problem in the Philippines in word it is this: Paralysis. Traffic paralyzes us. It is no wonder that we lose approximately P3 billion a day, with Metro Manila residents spending 1,000 hours a year in traffic, while other countries in the world spend only 300 hours,” said Poe.
Poe acknowledged that traffic had impaired workers’ productivity and left irreversible impacts on health and the economy.
In the road sector, the DOTr implemented the policy of no additional provincial bus terminals should be established along EDSA and the total ban on tricycles, pedicabs, “kuliglig,” and pushcarts in the circumferential and radial roads in Metro Manila.
The agency also opened two point-to-point premium bus routes for double decker buses — the SM North to Megamall and Trinoma to Makati.
At present, five double decker buses are operating and 10 additional units are expected to be delivered in December.
The DOTr also extended the validity of license to five years, expected to commence this month.
For rail sector, the DOTr completed the grinding of tracks for MRT3 allowing the increase in train speed to 50 kilometers per hour from 40 kph.
In addition, 26 light rail vehicles from China have been delivered, which are being prepared for operations by first quarter of 2017.
The operation of LRT Line 1 was also stretched: from 4:30 am to 10:15 pm from the original 5:am to 9:30 p.m.
The DOTr increased operational trains at Philippine National Railways to seven from five.
In the air sector, the government prohibited the operations of general aviation from noon to 7 pm to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The airlines also committed to transfer some of their regional and domestic flights to Clark.
The agency also partnered with telcos to provide free WiFi access at NAIA terminals.
Lastly for maritime sector, the Transportation Department completed survey of existing roll-on/roll-off facilities to determine improvements needed to accommodate new generation of Ro-Ro vessels and ramps.
The agency said it also completed the preliminary assessment on the revival of Pasig River Ferry service as an alternative mode of transport. With Darwin G. Amojelar
