Solutions to Metro

Manila Traffic Short to Medium Term Measures

6 Sept 2015

MAJOR CAUSES OF TRAFFIC

Increasing number of

private vehicles

Bus stop congestion

On street competition

among buses/jeepneys

Urgent Action is Needed

Yearly 10% more private vehicles in Metro

Manila. Fastest growing segment is

motorcycles

With slower vehicle speeds, the capacity

of the public transport fleet is shrinking

Long lines for UV, jeepneys and buses at

rush hour

Urban rail is big part of solution, but

requires more time to deliver results

2010 2011 2012 2013

PHILIPPINES 6,634,855 7,138,942 7,463,393 7,690,038

METRO

MANILA1,904,395 2,014,750 2,032,390 2,101,148

CARS 435,473 446,106 450,189 452,959

UTILITY

VEHICLES (UV)558,123 575,614 566,083 578,732

SPORTS UTILITY

VEHICLES (SUV)145,438 156,188 167,105 185,623

TRUCKS 69,181 72,121 72,009 78,521

BUSES 14,184 13,345 13,007 13,989

MOTORCYCLES

(MC) /

TRICYCLES (TC)

667,424 734,465 745,777 773,291

TRAILERS 14,572 16,911 18,220 18,033

CAR 21%

UV 27%

SUV 9%

TRUCKS 1%

BUSES 4%

MC/TC 37%

TRAILERS1%

METRO MANILA MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION

No. of Cars and Motorcycles Growing Very Fast

Source: Land Transportation Office (2014) 4

Vision

Public transport as

the number one

choice of every

person for their daily

commute,

even if they have the option of

using a car or motorcycle

Transforming Public Transport

Public transport should be sufficient,

high quality, reliable, affordable, and

safe

Transformation is required from low

quality, high emission public transport to

high quality, low emission public

transport

Transformation needs the “buy-in” of

the public and the entire public

transport industry.

To Achieve Our Vision:

Fundamental Change in Mindset in

Required

Objective: Maximize PeopleThroughput, Not Vehicle

Throughput

Note: If we focus only on maximizing vehicle throughput, we favor wealthier private vehicle owners over public transport users

How many people do

non-bus vehicles (mostly cars)

move on EDSA?

221,946 non-bus vehicles/day

12,491 non-bus veh./am peak

12,491 x 1.5 (riders/veh.)

= 18,737 passengers/hour

during am peak

How many people do buses move

on EDSA?

14,424 buses/day

814 buses/am peak

814 x 60 (riders/bus)

= 48,840 passengers/hour

during am peak

417 NB vehicles/direction/am peak

397 SB vehicles/direction/am peak

AM Peak 6:00 – 7:00

August 15, 2015 (Saturday)

MMDA CCTV counts

6,349 NB vehicles/direction/am peak

6,956 SB vehicles/direction/am peak

AM Peak 6:00 – 7:00

August 14, 2015 (Friday)

MMDA CCTV counts

How Do People Move on EDSA Today?

28% by non-bus veh. 72% by bus

Use of EDSA Road Space by Vehicles

221,946 non-bus vehicles with ave.length of 5 meters, placed end-to-end, will occupy 1,109 lane kilometers

Proportionally, non-bus vehicles use 87% of road space

14,424 buses with ave. length of 12 meters, placed end-to-end, will occupy 173 lane kilometers

Proportionally, buses use 13% of the road space

How Does EDSA Move People?

Number of Passengers72%(bus) vs. 28% (Non-bus)

Use of Road Space13%(bus) vs. 87%(Non-bus)

(Take Transit, Enjoy more time of your Life)

Maximize people throughput, not vehicle throughput

EDSA TRAFFIC SITUATION

236,370 total vehicles/day

14,424 buses/day

• Non-bus vehicles move

18,737 pax/hr

• Buses move 48,840 pax/hr

Road use:

87 % (private

vehicles)

13 % (buses)

Passenger throughput:

28% private vehicles

72% buses

Question: What should

be our policy?

A. Moving people

B. Moving cars

Answer: A

Non-Bus Buses

Buses Non-

Bus

Maximize people throughput

Action Plan to Address Metro Manila Traffic:

Short, Medium and Long Term

A. Short Term (Next 6-12 months)-Increase Supply and Travel Speed

A1. Activate public transport only lanes (“yellow lanes”) in major roads

A2. Lift number coding of public transport

A3. Expand Express Bus program

A4. Address bus driver behavior (better enforcement, IT-based monitoring, and elimination of driver incentives for ridership)

A5. New bus routes

B. Medium Term (Years 2-5)—Raise Quality of Service/Change Business Model

B1. Expand mass transit (e.g., LRT/MRT/Bus Rapid Transit [BRT]/subway)

B2. Bus and jeepney modernization (low emission vehicles, service contracts, common fleet management)

B3. Accessibility infrastructure (pedestrian and non-motorized transport facilities)

C. Long Term (Beyond 5 years)—Limit Use of Private Vehicles/Expand Mass Transit

C1. Discourage private vehicle use (higher car registration fees; parking policy; road congestion charges; car owner should have parking space before car can be registered)

C2. Transit-oriented development and land use

Short Term: “Low Hanging Fruit”

Activate “Yellow Lane” on Major Roads

Increase supply of public transport—lift number coding of buses

Expand Express Bus program

Address driver behavior through better enforcement, IT-based monitoring, and elimination of ridership-based compensation

New Bus Routes

A1. Improve Yellow Lane Operations on EDSA

Repaint Yellow Lanes

Loading and unloading of passengers only on the curbside

lane; Yellow passing lane should be free flowing

Communicate “Yellow Lane” rules to all PUV, car and

motorcycle drivers; apprehend cars and buses that violate

Expand the length of EDSA bus stops (to 100-150 meters)

to increase bus stop capacity; designate section at bus

stop for Express Buses

Provide bus stop seating, including as part of the queuing

system; consider portable toilets at selected bus stops

Where possible, bus stops should be relocated away from

intersections to reduce potential for lingering

A1. Implement Yellow Lane on Other

Major Roads: Low Cost/Huge Benefits

Any road with three lanes in each

direction is a candidate for creating a

“Yellow Lane”, even on a short segment

Tollways (NLEX, SLEX, CAVITEX) are good

candidates for dedicated lanes

Cameras on buses can help to enforce

“Yellow Lane” rules

Curbside “Yellow Lane” can be precursor

to median lane BRTNOTE: Seoul has over 300 kms of curbside dedicated lanes for public

transport and over 200 kms of median dedicated lanes for public transport

A2. Number Coding of Public Transport:

A Regressive Policy That Favors Car Use

Removes 20% of the supply of public transport vehicles

By making public transport more difficult to access, it encourages commuters to resort to using private vehicles as soon as they can afford to

Private vehicles are allowed to grow in an unrestricted manner, while public transport vehicles are reduced through number coding

The welfare of higher income car and motorcycle users is prioritized over the welfare of (the majority) lower income public transport users

Philippines may be the only country in the world with apolicy of restricting an essential public service

Myths About Buses on EDSA

Myth 1: There is an oversupply of

buses on EDSA

Myth 2: Additional buses will make

EDSA more congested

Myth 3: More buses will add to

unsafe and inefficient public

transport (lingering at bus stops;

speeding; blocking lanes; etc.)

Myth No. 1: Too Many Buses on EDSA

Myth: Many empty buses on EDSA even during rush hour; therefore supply of

buses needs to be reduced

Reality:

This may have been the case in the past—but not any more!

During rush hour, buses are all full to standing; hundreds of thousands of

commuters are unable to easily find public transport and have very long

waiting times; lines for UV Express and jeepneys are very long.

When buses are seen running empty, it is often during off-peak periods or

because buses have already unloaded their passengers at destination

points and are rushing back to origin points to pick up more passengers.

Bus capacity has been severely reduced with slower travel speeds on

EDSA. Buses that used to do 6 round trips in a day, now do only 3-4 round

trips, meaning around a one-third to 50% reduction in available supply.

Demand for road-based public transport has grown significantly (due to

normal population increase and LRT/MRT capacity reductions)

Myth No. 2: Additional Buses

Will Make EDSA More Congested Myth: Additional buses will just take up more road space and result

in slower travel times for the entire city

Reality:

The increase in private vehicles (cars and motorcycles) is the main

cause of increasing congestion and slower travel speeds on EDSA

Lifting of number coding for buses would add roughly 6 additional

buses per kilometer of EDSA in each direction. The additional

buses would be confined to the “Yellow Lanes”. Mixed traffic

lanes would be largely unaffected by the additional buses.

Restricting public transport supply encourages public transport

users to shift to private vehicle use (which ultimately worsens

traffic congestion). Increasing the number of buses will give many

commuters an alternative to using private vehicles.

Myth No. 3: “More Buses” Means More

Unsafe and Inefficient Public Transport Myth: Waiver of number coding will just mean more buses lingering at

bus stops, racing for passengers and loading/dropping off passengers outside of bus stops

Reality:

Bad driving behavior of bus drivers is linked to their compensation system—they usually receive a share of the bus fare collection. Rules on driver compensation should eliminate incentives linked to ridership and revenue collection.

The undesirable behavior of bus drivers can be curbed through the installation of electronic devices (GPS and automatic fare collection [AFC]) and better enforcement of traffic rules. In Seoul, 27% decrease in the bus accident rate, following the introduction of electronic monitoring devices on-board buses.

In the longer term, a change in the business model for road-based public transport is needed to eliminate competition for passengers. Bus operators and drivers should be compensated for delivering high quality and safe services, rather than for ridership. This means a transition to a service contract approach.

A2. Waiver of Number Coding for Buses

Estimated No. of EDSA City Buses daily with number coding = 2,000*

Estimated No. of EDSA City Buses daily w/o number coding = 2,500

Average round trip route length = 84 kms

EDSA length = 23 kms (46 kms both directions)

On average, 55% (46/84) of the EDSA bus fleet is on EDSA

In each direction of EDSA, about 1.2% (55%/46 km) of the EDSA bus fleet may be found within a kilometer of EDSA.

With number coding, each direction of EDSA would likely have about 24 buses/km (1.2% x 2,000)

Without number coding, each direction of EDSA would likely have about 30 buses/km (1.2% x 2,500; increase of only 6 buses per km)

*Although LTFRB numbers indicate that the number of franchised units on EDSA is about 3,500, it appears that the number of units in actual operation is much lower, about 2,789 according to MMDA count at their dispatching terminals. Assuming about 10% under repair or for replacement (after reaching 15 year age limit), the total current population is about 2,500. With 20% number coding, the number of EDSA city buses in operation daily is about 2,000. A separate analysis of bus frequency on EDSA, conducted by consultants (ITDP) in conjunction with the preparation of the EDSA BRT Feasibility Study, concluded that there were between 1,773 to 1,414 buses in operation on EDSA during peak periods. Both estimates share the view that there are not as many buses operating on EDSA as previously believed (or in comparison with the number of authorized franchise units).

A2. For Number Coding to be Lifted for Buses,

Operators Should Commit To The Following:

Shift 30% of AirCon Bus Fleet to Express Bus Services

(LTFRB to allow 20% higher fare, but operators should

repaint/resticker bus for easy identification)

All bus drivers with fixed salary and benefits without any

compensation linked to ridership; for public safety, each

driver should have maximum 7 hours of driving on any day

All buses to have GPS and Automatic Fare Collection

devices with data available to MMDA/LTFRB; driver

console allowing 2-way communication

Bus operations guided and monitored by MMDA/LTFRB

control center

Process for normalizing/registering colorum vehicles

Work with Government on transition to Bus Rapid Transit

A3. Express Bus Objectives

Offer commuters shorter travel times and higher quality

Make service financially attractive to operators and drivers

Attract some car users to shift to express bus

NOTE: Given the significant time savings, in other major cities, express services are a major part of the menu of bus services: in Seoul, 25% of buses operate as express; in Singapore, the share of express buses is about 30%.

A3. Concept Behind EDSA Express Bus Pilot

Limited number of EDSA stops (maximum two stops each direction on EDSA) in order to bring commuters to their destinations in shorter time

Avoid congestion in major bus stops

Express buses able to use flyovers, underpasses and mixed traffic lanes to find fastest route to their destinations

NOTE: Avoiding Cubao and Shaw reduces travel time by around 40 minutes.

A3. History of Express Bus Pilot

Pilot launched March 2015 with 50 buses; some

operators withdrew after a few days

Successful route was from Fairview to Ayala Avenue

with one stop at Ortigas MRT Station

The 27 buses remaining in the pilot demonstrated

very strong demand for express services

Reduction in travel time per trip of 30-60 minutes

No complaints from car users about bus use of mixed

traffic lanes, underpasses and flyovers

High willingness to pay for shorter travel time

A3. Benefits of Express Bus

For An Ordinary Commuter

New Normal: Commuter taking an aircon

bus from Fairview to Ayala Avenue has a

travel time of 2.5 – 3.0 hours

With Express Bus from Fairview to Ayala

Avenue, travel time is reduced by at least

one hour (major time savings from

avoiding bus stops in Cubao and Shaw)

A3. Expand Express Bus Program:

Low Cost, Huge Benefits

Express Bus services can be

offered without much investment

300 EDSA Express Buses would

generate P2 billion in economic

benefits yearly

Bus stop congestion would be

reduced as express buses would

skip most stops

A3. Proposed Next Steps on Express BusVia a LTFRB Memorandum Circular (MC), LTFRB to require EDSA aircon bus operators to shift a minimum %-age of units to express service based on the following rules:

EDSA aircon bus operators may charge 20% higher fare for express service

A minimum 30% of the authorized aircon bus fleet of an EDSA bus operator should be converted to express service within 60 days from the issuance of the MC

Prior to commencement of the express service, the express buses should be re-painted or re-stickered with the “Express Connect” official color and markings

Express buses are required to install wifi, GPS and CCTV devices prior to commencement of the express service

Express buses may have only two stops each direction on EDSA, plus one origin stop and one destination stop; the origin and destination stops should be located off-street, in order to avoid on-street competition for riders

The names of the express stops should be prominently displayed on a signboard attached to the windshield of the bus

For each EDSA aircon bus franchise, the bus operator is required to inform LTFRB of the specific locations of its express stops and off-street terminals within 30 days from the issuance of the MC

A4. Bus Devices (GPS and Automatic Fare

Collection) To Improve Driver Behavior Installation of electronic devices (GPS and AFC) on buses and central

monitoring in Seoul reduced bus accident rate by 27%.

Driver console and GPS are standard components of AFC devices installed on buses—AFC devices can be supplied by AFC providers without any up-front investment by bus operator (they can charge a percentage of fare revenue and minimum contract period)—So, investment cost should not be an issue.

With combination of GPS and AFC devices on buses (plus fixed CCTV along route), control center will be alerted and bus driver/operator will be penalized, if bus: (a) lingers at bus stop without loading and unloading passengers; (b) loads or unloads passengers outside a bus stop; (c) travels outside of “Yellow Lanes”; (d) deviates from authorized route; or (e) overspeeds.

Driver consoles (similar to a small tablet computer) require the driver to key in his name and driver number at the start of each day and to receive instructions in real time (with this, drivers know they are being monitored). Driver consoles allow 2-way communication with the control center.

A4. Devices on Buses Will Improve

Transport Services

Data from GPS/AFC devices will tell planners:

Where and how many commuters travel each day (travel demand)

If existing bus routes need more buses or fewer buses

Where we need new bus services

Whether a bus is authorized or “colorum”

Data from GPS/AFC devices will tell commuters:

Location of the bus that they are waiting for

How long before the bus arrives at a bus stop or terminal

Commuters can access information on mobile phones, through internet, and on electronic displays at bus stops

A4. Remove Driver Compensation

Linked to Ridership; Limit Work Hours

One factor behind unsafe and inefficient driving behavior of bus drivers is the link of driver compensation to ridership and revenue collection

Bus drivers on EDSA are typically offered 10% commission on revenues; this results in fierce on-street competition for passengers (leading to lingering at bus stops, racing for passengers, and loading/unloading outside of bus stops).

Recommendation:

DOLE to revise Departmental Order (DO) No. 118-12 (Rules and Regulations Governing the Employment and Working Conditions of Drivers and Conductors in the Public Utility Bus Transport Industry) in order to: (a) remove from bus driver compensation any incentive linked to ridership, profitability, or fare revenues collected by the bus driven by the driver; (b) remove reference in the DO to any driver compensation linked to “business performance”; and (c) for public safety reasons, limit total daily hours of work of a driver to eight (8) hours per day with a total driving time of no more than seven (7) hours in any day.

LTFRB and DOLE to issue a joint administrative order to implement the revised policy on driver compensation. LTFRB to impose a large fine to any operator violating the driver compensation rule and, in parallel, offer a generous reward to any person who is able to report and document a violation of the driver compensation rules.

A5. New Bus RoutesBackground and Objectives

New bus routes can provide faster and more convenient options for

many commuters

New routes can shift some of the demand from already overcrowded

routes

New bus routes with better buses can attract commuters who are

currently using UV Express and cars to shift to bus use

New Franchising Process:

New routes and vehicle requirements identified by DOTC; LTFRB

invites expressions of interest and specifies eligibility requirements

Applicants submit eligibility documentation to LTFRB for review

If there are more applicants than required, public lottery conducted

by LTFRB to select those to be processed for franchise award

A5. Examples of Proposed

New Bus Routes

New Bus Routes

C5 (Batasan to FTI)

Lawton to MOA via Roxas Blvd.

Premium Airport Bus

First Bundle: (i) Naia to Roxas Blvd.; (ii) Naia to

Makati CBD

Second Bundle: (i) Naia to Ortigas CBD;

(ii) Naia to Alabang

Medium Term Measures

B1. Expand mass transit (e.g., LRT/MRT/Bus

Rapid Transit [BRT]/subway)

B2. Bus and jeepney modernization (low

emission vehicles, service contracts, common

fleet management)

B3. Accessibility infrastructure (pedestrian and

non-motorized transport facilities)

Urban/Commuter Rail Expansion

LRT2 West (3 km)

LRT2 East (4 km)

LRT1 South (12 km)

MRT 3 (New Trains)

Commonwealth Line (MRT7; 23 km)

North-South Rail (Malolos-Tutuban; Tutuban-Calamba;

54 km)

Dasmarinas Line (15 km)

Taytay Line (11 km)

Metro Manila BRT

1. Quezon Avenue2. EDSA3. C5 and Roxas

Boulevard

Ortigas

Quezon Ave.

Makati

BGC

NAIA

Cubao

36

37

• 12.3 km BRT System from

Quezon Memorial Circle to

Manila City Hall

• PHP 4.8 billion

• 16 stations

• 280 buses

MRT 3

PNR

LRT 1

Metro Manila Q Ave BRT

Metro Manila -- Quezon Avenue BRT

Quezon Avenue corner EDSA

EDSA BRT

Bus Rapid

Transit

EDSA

Ortigas-BGC-

Makati

Airport link

BRT InfrastructureEDSA -- 49 km

C5/Roxas Blvd -- 45 km

EDSA BRT About 1,200 buses63 BRT stations20 routes across Metro Manila1.65 M passenger trips daily

Guadalupe Bridge before

Guadalupe Bridge after

Ayala Avenue before

Ayala Avenue after

Accessibility Infrastructure

Public

transport

accessibility

today

The public transport system will fail unless customers can

safely, securely, comfortably, and conveniently access stations

Seoul Cheonggyecheon

Guangzhou

2,100 km of greenways

Iloilo City EsplanadeUsing the example of Iloilo to create pedestrian

and cycling superhighways in Metro Manila

After consultation with DPWH, JICA, and World Bank, a greenway system

along the Marikina and Pasig Rivers is feasible, provides rapid NMT

mobility, and complements flood management efforts

Alignment of accessibility infrastructure

(Greenways)

Greenway being developed separately

Accessibility Infrastructure

Marikina River

Pasig River

Ortigas

BGCAyala

C-5

Greenway Development

Kapitolyo (Before)

Uncontrolled parking

Poor public space

No public transport

Greenway Development

Kapitolyo (After) Managed parking

Quality waking and cycling

Public transport access

Project

approvals

Confirm

funding

Initiate

detailed

engineering

design

Detailed

design

Bid out

civil works

Procure

System

Manager

Work with

transport

industry

on

transition

2015 2016 2017-

2018

Construc-

tion of

civil

works

Bus

procure-

ment

Tendering

of bus

service

contracts

2018-

2019

Systems

up and

running

Short and Medium Term Measures

Thank you!