The Philippines is crafting a five-year road safety plan in a bid to reduce road crashes that kill 12 persons for every 100,000 involved in road traffic accidents, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
“The DOTr takes road safety seriously. Our approach is anchored on prevention. Our targets are the drivers, passengers, pedestrians, other road users and the vehicles,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said during a media briefing organized by United Nations.
Bautista said there were 11,500 deaths last year due to road crashes, higher than pre-pandemic levels.
According to the 2018 report of the World Health Organization, 12 persons die out of every 100,000 who are involved in a road traffic accident in 2018.
In addition to the human loss, the cost of road crashes in the Philippines represents 4.1 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Bautista said its attached agencies have existing programs that consequently lead to the promotion of road safety.
“Currently, we are finalizing the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan for the period 2023 to 2028.
Various components are contained in the plan including intensifying road safety education,” Bautista said.
“The education campaign starts with the issuance of student licenses by the Land Transportation Office or LTO. Knowledge of defensive and safe driving is a prerequisite for student drivers, while renewal of licenses now requires passing an online driving exam,” he added.
Jean Todt, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety said in a report titled “Safe Roads for A Sustainable World,” that road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults between 5 and 29 years old, and 90 percent of victims live in low- and middle-income countries.
“As we resolve to build a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, our mobility systems must have safety at their core. This is the only way we will achieve the ambitious goal of halving road deaths and injuries by 2030,” Todt said.
“Putting safety at the core of our mobility systems is an urgent moral imperative. Safety must never be compromised, as the only number of deaths that we can ever accept on our roads is zero,” he added.
Todt said the United Nations has invested significantly in tackling the problem of road safety globally.
Bautista also said that the government plans to enhance the Busway through the EDSA Greenways Project which calls for constructing elevated walkways between selected Busway or train stations along EDSA.
“Pedestrians are safe from the ground traffic while enjoying eco-friendly features along the walkways,” he said.
“We intend to replicate the highly popular EDSA Busway in major cities in the provinces. The concept is similar. We call them Bus Rapid Transit or BRT. The Cebu BRT is currently under construction. Another one will be built in Metro Davao,” Bautista added.
The transport chief also said the agency also rolled out the Active Transport Program, which involves constructing bicycle, pedestrian and public transport infrastructures, to promote road safety.
“The transport infrastructures were built in partnership with LGUs. This includes constructing protected cycling lanes and paths; end-of-trip bicycle facilities; safe and accessible pedestrian walkways; improvement of existing bike lanes; and establishment of public transport stops,”Bautista said.
“There are now 564 kilometers of bike lanes throughout the country. These are the Metro Manila bike lanes stretching 313.12 kilometers, Metro Cebu bike lanes at 129.66 kilometers, and Metro Davao bike lanes at 54.74 kilometers,” he added.
Bautista said a P2 billion budget has been allotted for designating another 470 kilometers of bike lanes throughout the country.
Last month, the DOtr broke ground for the construction of 9.6 kilometers of bike lanes along designated roads throughout Intramuros in Manila, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism.