THE TomTom Traffic Index rated the Philippines the most congested country in Asia for 2025. It is not surprising as motor vehicle congestion affects nearly all urban areas in the country. Car sales hit a record high of 491,395 units last year; motorcycles are also selling like hotcakes. The auto industry is projecting sales of 503,000 units for 2026.
We need to recognize that this is the outcome of an urban environment where people are compelled to travel in a private motor vehicle to get to destinations. It is called car dependency — a condition that prevails when efficient, healthful and more sustainable options (walking, cycling and public transportation) are unsafe, unavailable or unreliable. We need to change this.
Up until now, traffic management has focused on moving private motor vehicles; it should instead be on moving people using a balanced mix of travel modes — safely, comfortably and with dignity.
Most transportation and urban planners already agree that widening roads, building flyovers and fixing traffic signals do not really do much to solve road congestion. The last 50 years proves that the strategy of solving traffic by giving more road space to motor vehicles has failed. This is because of the phenomenon of induced demand — any easing of traffic immediately attracts increased car use and congestion before long is back at the same level or worse.
The sensible and sustainable approach is to provide people with safe, accessible, efficient and convenient travel options that do not require using a private car or motorcycle. This is what great cities all over the world are doing, making public transport, walking and cycling attractive so that they become the preferred travel modes. If we do the same, we will make Philippine cities more livable, healthy and inclusive.
This is about making sidewalks spacious, green and comfortable so that short trips (say, 4 kilometers or less) are made entirely on foot and enjoyable. Shade trees can be planted on every street to make neighborhoods cooler and to offset the urban heat island effect (when asphalt and concrete roads capture solar heat and make localities warmer).
We also need to make sidewalks fully accessible for persons with disabilities so that the entire city is inclusive. It is not only what is right, it is also required by law. Today, an estimated 15 percent of our population has some form of disability and every one of us, at some time or another, will experience being disabled. By enabling those with disabilities to move around independently and with dignity, we will be changing millions of lives for the better and releasing significant dormant economic potential. Moreover, sidewalk improvements can be achieved in relatively short time and at relatively low cost.
Bicycles are an increasingly popular mode of transportation. For the many Filipinos trying to make ends meet, shifting to cycling enables them to have more money for education, health care and food. They also offer shorter, more predictable, travel times compared with sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Travel by bicycle is also zero emission and part of a healthy lifestyle.
However, many Filipinos who are interested in cycling are discouraged by the lack of safe bike paths or their poor quality. Motorcycles frequently intrude into bike lanes and endanger cyclists. This leads to the comment, “Wala namang gumagamit ng bike lanes.” The question should not be, “How many Filipinos use bicycles?” We should instead be asking, “What constraints should we remove so that more Filipinos will use bicycles for their daily travel?” It is obvious that there could be many more Filipinos on bicycles if conditions for cycling were improved.
Finally, we need to liberate public transport from traffic by placing buses, jeepneys and UV Express units on dedicated lanes. Much of our public transport capacity evaporates when buses and jeepneys are stuck in traffic. It means fewer passengers and lost income. It means a less attractive service because travel times are much longer and less predictable. Many public transport operators have closed shop because operations are no longer financially viable. This, of course, is a natural recipe for greater car dependency and worsening road congestion.
An exclusive lane for public transport vehicles will ensure that public transport moves with efficiency and predictability. A public utility vehicle carrying 15 to 80 persons has a superior right to use the road than a private car with only one or two on board. Already, many former car and motorcycle users are regular passengers on the EDSA Busway because it offers much shorter travel times. If this can be replicated on other public transport corridors nationwide, we would see millions of Filipinos leave their cars and motorcycles at home.
What has held us back? It is the notion that roads need to be preserved and prioritized for the use of cars, even though four-wheeled private motor vehicles are the least efficient and most environmentally damaging users of road space. It is the misplaced judgment that these should not be inconvenienced even though only 6 percent of Filipino households own cars. We all remain stuck in our worsening traffic nightmare because local and national agencies continue to insist that roads should be devoted to motor vehicles.
It is time for the Philippines to give the majority without cars their fair share of existing road space so that we can all have high quality sidewalks, bike lanes and dedicated public transport lanes. Using the same road space, a sidewalk or a bike lane can move five to 10 times more people than a road mainly for cars. A dedicated lane for public transport can move 10 to 20 times more people.
The right choices for a better future, a more livable Philippines, are abundantly evident. If road space for private motor vehicles needs to be reduced to create wider sidewalks, protected bikeways or dedicated lanes for public transport, there should be no hesitation from any quarter. The government should always champion the greatest good for the greatest number. More people walking, biking and using public transport will benefit all of us, even those who rely on private motor vehicles. This is what real traffic management is about.
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 mobilitymatters.ph@yahoo.com or followed on X @RobertRsiy.
