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Category Archives: Public Transport
Cashless payment methods for public transportation
It took some time but finally there are even more options to pay for your transit fare, at least for MRT Line 3 for now. Here is the graphic from the announcement by the DOTr:
Hopefully, these methods will be available to all rail lines including the PNR. Hopefully, too, these options will be available in buses and perhaps at least on modern jitneys. This will make it easier to pay public transport fares for the regular transit users.
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On the increase in road crashes involving trucks in Rizal province
The incidence of road crashes involving trucks in our area and along my regular commuting routes seem to be increasing. Many of these are large, heavy trucks often with cement or other construction materials being hauled from one of the quarries or plants located in Antipolo and neighboring towns.
Road crash near Tikling Junction last Saturday, July 5, 2025
The resulting congestion due to the partial blockage of Ortigas Avenue Extension had eastbound traffic backed up almost up to Cainta Junction and it took more than an hour to pass the site before going up to Antipolo. Why are these crashes becoming more frequent? Perhaps these trucks are not well-maintained in the first place. Another issue is perhaps truck overloading. Whatever the issues may be whether we can isolate one or its a combination of several, interventions must be formulated and implemented. The LGUs need to be more proactive about this and not be over-reliant on the police who are there usually after a crash has occurred, and too late to prevent damage to property, injuries or worse, fatalities.
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E-trikes in Naga City
Just like other cities in the Philippines, Naga City now has electric tricycles operating and providing transport services. These are welcome developments for many cities and municipalities as these trikes are low emission and low noise vehicles. They also basically have higher passenger capacities compared to the conventional trikes though service characteristics may not be so different from the conventional trikes. For example, ‘special’ rides mean fewer passengers.
E-trike station at Plaza Rizal
E-trikes queued at the station
Despite the popularity, there are still many questions regarding e-trikes. These include durability, battery life and profitability. With the proliferation of e-trikes and their various models, these issues hope to be resolved in the next few years as more evidence relating to these and other issues come out.
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Transport options between Naga and Legazpi
I wrote about the PNR still operating between Naga and Legazpi cities. However, there is only one roundtrip per day and that is the Legazpi-Naga-Legazpi trip. If you want to do the Naga-Legazpi-Naga trip, you have to spend at least the night in Legazpi. But the latter schedule is not so good for the return to Naga as the train leaves Legazpi at 4:30 AM! Aside from the rail option, most people will use road-based transport. That is, most people will probably take a bus or van. There are many bus companies and UV Express vans operating along the corridor (Pan Philippine Highway) connecting the major cities and municipalities of the Bicol Region.
We saw this van parked along the roadside as we were waiting for our turn to proceed along a section under construction employing a alternating one way traffic scheme.
A close-up showing the UV Express van’s end points to be Naga and Legazpi. The declared passenger capacity is 23. Though this appears to be a long or stretched van, I can only imagine how comfortable or uncomfortable it is to ride these for 3 plus hours one way.
More on Bicol transportation in my posts this coming July!
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PNR services from Naga City
I have yet to share the photos I took at the PNR Station in Naga City. Instead, I am sharing here the current train schedule and fares.
There are only three trips from Naga to Sipocot – two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Meanwhile, there is only one trip to Legazpi. Sipocot is in the same province, Camarines Sur, while Legazpi is the capital of Albay.
Fare rates between Naga City and Legazpi City. There are 15 stops along this route.
Fares for destinations between Naga and Sipocot
Timetable between Naga and Sipocot. It takes 1 hour and 12 minutes one way. It seems I wasn’t able to take a photo of the Naga-Legazpi timetable but the staff told us it takes 3 hours to get to Legazpi.
The station staff also told us that the train from Legazpi leaves at 4:30 AM. If it also takes 3 hours, then it arrives in Naga at 7:30AM. This can be okay for a super-commuter even at this travel time and speed (about 33 km/h). The frequency of trips between Naga and Legazpi should increase and will probably do once the PNR completes rehabilitation of what was termed as the Main Line South.
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Electric taxis anyone?
Finally saw one of the taxis operated by Green GSM, which is a Vietnamese company. This is supposed to be the first all-electric taxi service in the Philippines.
My colleagues and I were talking about this. Among other topics is whether these taxis will not encounter problems once the rains pour and many streets are flooded. We also wondered whether these vehicles will add to the congestion; slugging it out with the established competitors.
Another, more deeper and serious topic is whether these are really clean. While these are emission free as far as the proverbial tailpipe is concerned, the sources of power are not necessarily so.
While we do have renewables in the mix including hydro, geothermal, solar and wind, much of our power used to produce electricity uses fossil fuels.
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Quick comments on the NCAP
The No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) is finally being implemented in Metro Manila. The results so far has been dramatic in terms of the number of violations recorded and the images being shared so far about how motorists are behaving. Below is one of those photos being shared on social media to which I added some annotations. I will use this later to comment on the NCAP and how we can use the outcomes to assess the transportation situation and determine what interventions can be done. Some are already obvious from the photo – the lack of public transport options lead to people depending on private motor vehicles like cars and motorcycles for their commutes. MRT7 is yet to be operational and road public transport has not been rationalized.
More on this topic soon!
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Solutions to transport problems: the combination of congestion pricing and transit infrastructure development
Congestion pricing and transit infrastructure development (e.g., mass transit infrastructure) are often mentioned separately or independently. It is as if they are mutually exclusive alternatives or solutions to our transportation problems. They are not and should be considered together for greater impacts and also to complement each other. While the article below focuses on the experience in the United States, the experience is Singapore as applied to cities should provide a model that can be adopted if not outrightly replicated. Singapore’s version of congestion pricing in the form of its Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) scheme has been very effective in regulating congestion levels while helping fund public transportation in the city-state.
Descant, S. (May 8, 2025) “Congestion Pricing and Transit Are a Necessary Alliance,” Government Technology, https://www.govtech.com/transportation/congestion-pricing-and-transit-are-a-necessary-alliance %5BLast accessed: 11/05/2025]
Quoting from the article:
“In order to move a congestion pricing proposal forward, “you must have serious congestion, and you must have good transit,” said Sam Schwartz, a former New York City traffic commissioner, said during a March 21 panel on the New York City congestion pricing program. The event was organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Mobility Initiative. Schwartz is also the CEO of Sam Schwartz Pedestrian Traffic Management Services, a consulting firm.
A recent report by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University in California concluded roadway tolling — a form of congestion pricing — can serve the dual purpose of reducing traffic congestion and supporting transit options, if the programs are structured properly.”
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On strategies for urban mobility
Here is an interesting article on other strategies for urban mobility:
Menard, T. (March 24, 2025) “Beyond Congestion Pricing: Strategies for Revolutionizing Urban Mobility,” Planetizen, https://www.planetizen.com/features/134601-beyond-congestion-pricing-strategies-revolutionizing-urban-mobility [Last accessed: 4/6/2025]
To quote from the article:
“The common thread among successful urban transportation initiatives is the use of data to make mass transit more competitive. When cities invest in improving the transit experience through technology, service enhancements, and targeted incentives, the results are clear: increased ridership, reduced congestion, and lower emissions. These outcomes benefit not just individual commuters but the broader community as well, contributing to improved air quality, reduced traffic-related stress, and more livable urban environments.
In looking ahead, the lessons from New York’s congestion pricing experiment and the initiatives of other progressive cities offer a roadmap for transit agency leaders worldwide. By embracing data-driven strategies, investing in advanced technologies, and creating the right mix of incentives and disincentives, cities can transform their transportation systems to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
The key takeaway for transit agency leaders is clear: when mass transit is made more attractive, efficient, and competitive with private vehicle use, commuters will respond positively. The data from New York and other cities proves that well-designed transportation policies can yield significant benefits for urban communities. As more cities adopt these innovative approaches, we can look forward to a future of smarter, more sustainable urban mobility that enhances the quality of life for all residents.”
Perhaps the main statement to be emphasized here should be: “The common thread among successful urban transportation initiatives is the use of data to make mass transit more competitive.” How many of our cities are doing this now and in the context of the public transport rationalization and modernization? Does the LTFRB or the DOTr collect and use data towards improving public transportation? Are these efforts comprehensive rather than selective?
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“Coding exempt” vehicles and the demise of the coding scheme
I saw this car ahead of me during my commute. I knew this was an electric vehicle and these as well as hybrid ones were given an incentive in Metro Manila. They are “coding exempt” meaning these vehicles can be driven any day and ay hour during the weekdays.
Are they selling these ‘coding exempt’ accessories or do these go free when you buy these cars?
People ask if the number coding scheme (UVVRP) in Metro Manila is still effective or relevant. Well, the answer is a ‘no’ and that is because over time, people have adjusted to it. Car owners have bought a second, even third vehicle that they call their ‘coding’ vehicle. Others opted to purchase motorcycles. And so that’s what we generally see along most roads in Metro Manila. It didn’t help that hybrid and electric vehicles are given exemption from the coding scheme. Those who can afford to buy yet another vehicle or perhaps replace their conventional ones are already buying these as evident from their increasing presence along our roads. While there is the perceived benefits with less emissions and air pollution, we still lose with congestion and its derivatives. Perhaps we should already have a congestion pricing scheme implemented for Metro Manila like the one in New York City. And proceeds should go to the improvement of public transportation to help arrest the erosion of its mode share in favor of private vehicles.
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