ROAD (Road Onset Accessibility and Development)

PROBLEMS 

The Philippines is facing a lot of problems from roads up to public fare matrix. According to Rappler.com, study shows that Metro Manila has the third worst traffic in Southeast Asia. A study by the Boston Consulting Group shows Metro Manila motorists and commuters get stuck in traffic for an average of 66 minutes daily.

Filipinos also complain about the high amount of fare on public transportations because the standard fare is not implemented well. 

Colorum transportation is also rampant in the Philippines. According to Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), colorum is slang for illegal public land transport in the Philipines. The term “colorum” refers to a franchise violation according to five criteria.

Uncemented and damaged roads along National Highways are also rampant in the nation.

The number of motor vehicles plying Metro Manila’s roads continues to increase, but the road network in the metropolis has hardly increased. According to some estimates, the NCR’s road network of 4,755 kilometers should be doubled to accommodate the vehicle population.

That means that the additional roads that are being built or widened are eaten up by existing demand, which continues to outpace infrastructure development. 

Additionally, dysfunctional streetlights should also be replaced immediately to avoid any accidents.

Drivers also complain about the lack of and/or unclear signages. Some road signs along the way are damaged and have not been replaced ever since. But one problem encountered is that some drivers don’t have enough knowledge of road signages and symbols.

A rapid rise of Filipinos who are able to buy cars resulting in inadequate space for road catering for more than 11 million vehicles.

There are also numerous flood-prone areas due to the unsystematic drainage system that causes traffic. We are a flood-prone country because of the 20 or so typhoons that hit us every year. Metro Manila is particularly prone to flooding because of its low altitude. Everybody knows that even a light downpour floods many streets in the metropolis, resulting in stalled traffic. Add to this the narrowing of streets caused by illegal settlements or vendors.

WHAT TO DO:

1. ROAD WIDENING PROJECTS. Widening the road helps to improve facilities to pedestrians and vehicles to ease the traffic congestion and thereby improves the road system.
2. ADDITIONAL DROP-OFF & PICK-UP AREAS. More drop-off and pick up areas are needed so that public transportation doesn't load/unload passengers anywhere they want.
3. STRICT IMPLEMENTATION OF FARE MATRIX. Colorum vehicles must be reported for they aren't following the rules implemented by the LTFRB. There's no "fare hike" done according to them.
4. TRANSPARENCY ON BUDGETS GIVEN FOR ROAD PROJECTS. Budgets given to the road agencies like DPWH must be used appropriately for road projects only and not used by corrupt government officials.
5. REPLACE DYSFUNCTIONAL STREET LIGHTS. Dysfunctional street lights must be replaced for they improve safety for drivers, riders, and pedestrians during the hours of darkness. 
6. ENACT CENTRALIZED PAYMENT SYSTEM. The centralized payment system, including POS Machines, must be enacted most especially on the urban areas for a better way to monitor the services the passengers are accessing.
7. MORE HONEST TRAFFIC ENFORCERS. Traffic enforcers accepting bribes should be annihilated and more honest enforcers should be hired and rewarded.
8. ABOLISH SIDE WALK VENDORS. Illegal vendors should be abolished for they cause heavy traffics because they are taking over both lanes of the road, making narrower space for vehicles which is a cause of a poor road system.
9. ADDITION OF ROAD EDUCATION. Road education (learning important and unusual road signages and symbols) should be added in the basic education for all road users and pedestrians have the right to be safe.
10. MORE ROAD CONSTRUCTION. More road construction like asphalting of road must be done in remote areas of the Philippines for better accessibility of road in case of emergencies.
11. FLYOVERS AND UNDERPASSES PROJECTS. Flyovers and underpasses must be constructed especially in the most congested cities besides Manila to avoid road problems.
12. IMPLEMENT EXCISE TAX. Just like in Singapore, the Philippine government should implement excise tax in the automotive industry and zero-growth policy which will prevent customers to buy more cars.
13. NO LICENSE, NO DRIVING. Drivers without a license are illegal in every state. They shouldn't be driving for they lack knowledge about road signages and symbols and any other road matters.

Our goal in this project is to improve the Philippines' road systems and traffic safety & capacity. We call this project ROAD (Road Onset Accessibility and Development). We need your support to put pressure on the Philippine Government to make a quick solution to answer the problems regarding road systems. Every vote for our petition can truly make a difference for the betterment of our country. Change is coming, vote and share this petition to your friends and family.

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