IN THE last month, Davao City and its residents have witnessed a significant milestone with the opening of the Davao City Coastal Bypass Road. The project stands as a marvelous example of construction, exemplified in the pride Dabawenyos show towards it when they offer to drive you down its freshly laid tarmac or when they stop to take a selfie with breathtaking views in every direction.
The Coastal Road is intended to help ease congestion issues in Davao City. As someone who uses the road networks, I have observed a slight easing in traffic over the past couple of weeks. Having said that, the lasting effect of the road in regards to the congestion issue may take time to become evident to us. Residents will have to get used to the new road, and adjust their journeys accordingly.
In the meantime, I would expect heavy traffic, especially in peak times, to remain a feature of Davao City.
However, it is undeniable that Dabawenyos deserved advanced infrastructure and adequate public transport to support it. The question is, how can this be achieved through realistic means?
As someone who is new to the city, it is immediately clear that congestion is one of the main issues for city planners. It represents a complex issue, devoid of quick fixes or easy solutions, especially with limited resources and financial support.
But, in the long run, a concerted effort on improving the infrastructure of the city will have the dual effect of boosting the economy and improving people's quality of life.
Better roads and better city planning will help ease congestion, but only to a limited degree. Examples from across the world indicate that significantly improved public transport is another piece in the jigsaw to solving congestion issues.
There must be an incentive for people to use public transport instead of their own private vehicles; simply put, we must try to reduce the number of vehicles in the city center.
One potential solution is a park‘n’ride system, which has enjoyed success in many cities in my home country, the United Kingdom. This is where people traveling into the city park their cars in an out-of-town car park and hop on a bus which takes them to significant stops within the city. The parking and bus fares are purposefully minimal in order to encourage the public to take up this option. This solution helps keep a swelling of cars from entering the city.
Another solution is to have a dedicated bus lane on main roads. So far, I have not observed such dedicated lanes which we have seen in places like Manila. These lanes would be for public transport only, meaning those vehicles would bypass the traffic and get to their destination much quicker. I often see Jeepneys stuck in traffic; if the public transport had a “free pass” on the roads I am sure demand would go up and more people would seek to use these services, thus reducing the amount of private cars in the city and ultimately reduce congestion.
Such an improvement would peak the attention of investors and businesses looking at Davao City as a potential venture. Advanced infrastructure will help cut down time spent in traffic and improve efficiency for companies.
Furthermore, the reduction of vehicles in Davao City will help cut emissions. This will improve air quality in Davao and contribute towards a greener future for generations to come. A more environmentally-friendly Davao would mean a healthier and safer city to bring up families and to live in.
The Davao Coastal Road is a significant step forward when it comes to solving the city’s traffic problem; improved public transport would be another.
PS
Dear readers,
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ben Sturt, and I’m from the United Kingdom. You may be thinking how did I end up in Davao City? Last year, I bought a one-way ticket to Thailand, where I taught English at a high school. After the semester, I traveled around Southeast Asia before arriving in the Philippines. I’m also a teacher here, but I count writing as another passion of mine. I will be sharing with you some of my observations about Davao, living in a new country and experiencing a new culture. I hope you find my unique perspective enlightening and interesting; if you would like to respond to any of my musings then you can reach out to me via email. My address is bensturt@icloud.com - I hope you enjoy my columns!
