By Ayena Cheyenne Reynera |
During the morning rush hour on January 23 along MacArthur Highway near Matina Crossing, passengers have trouble finding a ride. (Photo by Bing Gonzales from Mindanao Times)
It’s all the same at some place, anywhere on the highways. In some parts of downtown, vehicles are tightly packed together on the lanes. Some take the inconveniently narrow shortcuts, while others play the arduous waiting game. The way up ahead is a traffic jam, quite a familiar sight on the roads of Davao City.
The transportation crisis in Davao has been worsening in recent years. Most of Mindanao’s road development projects are ongoing or proposed as of 2023. Traffic congestion escalates as more and more people often use private than public vehicles within the region. The vehicle registration in Davao City last 2019 reached 208,122, with 92% of those composed of private vehicles. The increased frequency of pollution, accidents, and other severe conditions will continue if the crisis is left unresolved.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), last July 15, 2022, mentioned plans to implement railroad projects in Manila and other cities. He also said that there would be improvements in transport systems with the introduction of buses and railways in urban areas around the country.
However, Alt Mobility Director Ira Cruz believed the reforms should focus on developing basic infrastructure and public transportation systems.
“We feel that the President’s directive to the Department of Transportation misses the fundamental needs of Filipinos,” the director added.
He also emphasized that the government must instead implement methods to alleviate the conditions of motorists and commuters on the road.
Reshaping systems
This is where transportation engineering takes the step in alleviating the issue. By definition, it is “the branch of civil engineering that is involved in the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of safe and efficient transportation systems,” whether by highway, railway, air, sea, urban, or intermodal facilities. Transportation engineering can reshape the current system into a more functional, structured implementation of road traffic quality. Given that this section is part of civil engineering, engineers in this division focus significantly on the convenience of transportation.
To mitigate the crisis, they can introduce accessible alternative routes or rework the existing road network on jammed highways. Ohio University noted that offering alternative roads that eventually lead to the same destination can help reduce the traffic in congested areas.
Similarly, the government can also launch projects to expand lanes and redevelop systems for public and environmentally-friendly modes of transportation such as buses, tricycles, jeepneys, bikes, and by foot. This is so that more people would be encouraged to use public transportation instead of private vehicles.
Essentially, transportation engineering paves the way for the management of the transportation crisis in cities. With its core concepts and postulates, engineers can incorporate innovative road design to maximize efficiency and safety while addressing priority for commuters and public transportation.
In some future or another, at least drivers and passengers alike wouldn’t need to worry about the exhaustingly long way back home.
Comments