The Management Association of the Philippines on Thursday again called on the government to address the worsening traffic in Metro Manila, saying the losses caused by it will reach about P3.4 billion by the end of this year.
The group made its statement even as President Rodrigo Duterte established the Philippine Railway Institute under the Transport department to formulate and administer programs for train personnel.
Duterte created the institute to serve as the planning, implementing and regulatory agency for the human resources development of the railway sector. He signed the executive order creating it on Nov. 21 but it was only released on Thursday.
The MAP said Thursday its members’ employees had been complaining about the terrible traffic situation and demanded a solution.
The group says the daily cost of traffic congestion affects 13.4-million person-trips based on factors such as the value of time lost due to delays, fuel costs, vehicle operating costs, the impact on health and the greenhouse gas emissions.
This translates to P250 per person per trip per day, which is around 40 percent of the P600 daily minimum wage in Metro Manila.
The group says an international global supply chain company has estimated that transport costs account for 16 percent of the total cost of a product that is moved from a manufacturing facility to a retail outlet.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that the transport cost in Metro Manila accounts for 25 percent to 29 percent of the cost of a product”•probably higher for rice as there are many costs involved from its source in the provinces to its retail outlet in Metro Manila, which could go as high as 40 percent.
Thus, a reduction of transport cost to even 25 percent would result in a 60-percent reduction in the cost of rice, or from P35/kilo to P14/kilo.
With the Metro Manila Development Authority calling for suggestions from the public, the MAP is recommending to ensure honest-to-goodness enforcement to compel motorists to comply with regulations.
Fines for violations must be settled speedily, make sure public vehicles move commuters faster and put more commuter transport vehicles on the road.
The group also recommends giving PUVs priority in the use of limited road space by allocating more lanes to them during rush hours.
The group says unless its suggestions are heeded, the bad practices will continue. With MJ Blancaflor