Restoring trust in the DPWH

APART from eliminating corruption, a longer-term and equally important objective of Secretary Vince Dizon at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should be to transform the agency from one concerned mainly with building car-oriented road and bridge infrastructure into one that creates a built environment where all Filipinos, especially those without a motor vehicle, can move around with safety, comfort and efficiency.

In urban areas, the DPWH’s focus on expanding roads for motor vehicles has pushed many of us into dependency on private cars and motorcycles. An important lesson is that even a small percentage of Filipinos in cars already drowns all of us in pollution and traffic. The sustainable solution is to make walking, cycling and public transport the preferred travel choices for all of us, even for owners of private motor vehicles. In cities, the DPWH should consider all road users as its clients, but those without cars (who are the majority) should have highest priority.

At the onset, a big challenge will be to remove the obsession of the DPWH with endlessly expanding road space for private motor vehicles at the expense of the majority of Filipinos who are not motor vehicle owners. This will necessitate a change in the performance objectives and incentive systems within the department, especially its main target of increasing the kilometers of national roads in every part of the country. Internal planning, budgeting and incentive systems of the DPWH currently reward staff for adding more lanes even if it means removing sidewalks and cutting down roadside trees. At the same time, DPWH staff routinely reject proposals for converting road space into protected bicycle lanes, sidewalks and dedicated lanes for public transport, because this is viewed as reducing the number of kilometers of road available for motor vehicles.

Instead of relieving traffic in urban areas, the expansion of road space for motor vehicles has attracted increased motor vehicle use, leaving our cities with heavier traffic and pollution. This is the phenomenon of induced demand. A specific example is the construction of the Kalayaan Bridge linking Bonifacio Global City and Ortigas Center, the business district of Pasig City. The bridge was designed by the DPWH to serve private motor vehicles without consideration of the requirements of pedestrians, bicycles or public transport. The DPWH promised that the bridge would relieve traffic, but the opposite has materialized. Both ends of the bridge are heavily congested with motor vehicles every rush hour.

In Philippine cities, the thrust of the DPWH should be to transform urban roads and bridges so that they encourage a shift away from private motor vehicle use while enabling a more efficient flow of goods and people. On major roads that are already filled with cars, the DPWH can improve the utility and efficiency of the road by converting part of the existing road space into safe and spacious sidewalks, protected bike lanes and dedicated lanes and comfortable stops for public transport. This will create better travel options for those without a private motor vehicle as well as for car and motorcycle owners who want to escape traffic. This is the concept of “road diet” — reducing the space for cars while offering more efficient and sustainable travel options.

Some national roads within cities can even be designated as “car-free” (only private vehicles of local residents will be allowed on such roads). A car-free corridor, without traffic, will be an efficient route for public transport vehicles. There can be spacious footpaths with lots of greenery shaded by trees. Without the heat, pollution and danger from motor vehicles, the corridor will be attractive for cyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. Tourists will be attracted to the area because of the unique urban environment. In cities abroad, “car free” urban roads become high-value real estate because these zones become magnets for commercial activity and are attractive places for living and working.

Road and bridge improvement projects of the DPWH should correct the widespread non-compliance with accessibility requirements under Philippine laws (e.g., Batas Pambansa Blng. 344) so that persons with physical incapacity will be able to move around streets independently and safely. On all major roads, there should be sufficient sidewalk space so that a person walking can move alongside a person in a wheelchair. The pavement should be free of cracks or holes that can be hazards for anyone walking. The project cost should include the removal of utility poles or other obstacles that can block the path of a pedestrian or person in a wheelchair. Tactile paving should be mandatory on main roads. Sidewalk restoration and rehabilitation projects can deliver quick results and can be planned, monitored and protected with the active involvement of civil society and for which proper unit costs of implementation can readily be determined. The DPWH can begin by requiring an accessibility audit of every national road, with the active involvement of local officials and civil society.

Restoring public trust in DPWH will not be easy. The key is to deliver results that matter to ordinary Filipinos, especially those that have been neglected or injured by infrastructure that has served mainly the mobility requirements of private motor vehicles.

Robert Y. Siy is a development economist, city and regional planner, and public transport advocate. He is a co-convenor of the Move As One Coalition. He can be reached at [email protected] or followed on X @RobertRsiy.