A Three-fold System for an efficient management of ...

Project EDSA: A Three-fold System for an efficient management of the traffic situation in EDSA

A Concept Paper

Researchers: Dr. Benjamin G. Quito Dr. Villamor S. Quebral Dr. Edna C. Aquino

Joint Proposal of: Rizal Technological University Graduate School Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Philippines New Era University No. 9, Central Avenue Diliman, quezon City Philippines 1

Abstract

This Concept Paper contains three parts. Part I, Smart Transport System: The Role of Technology in the Efficient Management of Traffic Situations in EDSA. Part II, Smart Traffic Operations Procedure: The Use of Technology in Enhancing Traffic Apprehension and Operations in EDSA. Part III, Road Safety and Traffic Education (RoSTed): The Institutionalization and Standardization of Road Safety and Traffic Education in the Philippines.

Introduction

Next to Climate Change, the most pressing problem lurking on the Philippine horizon nowadays is Traffic congestion. Both public transport commuters and private car owners are experiencing the horrendous effect of a snail-paced traffic engulfing almost all main thoroughfares in Metro Manila. Travelling within the Metropolis, from one city to another is no longer a joy ride but an “ordeal” that is causing mental, emotional and physical fatigue to travelers. It can be considered as a “man-made disaster” increasing daily in gravity and victimizing young and old in all walks of life. It is an accepted fact that congestion hinders the smooth flow of goods and services due for the public. It also contributes significantly to pollution, and costs billions of pesos in wasted fuel, time and productivity. Many studies have been conducted aiming to come up with solutions, and huge amount of money was spent for years, but with very little real improvement to show for the expense.

In a recent report released by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) it was mentioned that despite the Philippines’ better-than-expected economic growth, “the Philippines risks losing to P6 billion a day by 2030 because of worsening traffic jams.” The JICA said that the costs of traffic will continue to rise if adequate solutions to ease congestion are not immediately implemented. Additionally, the Philippines lost P1.513 trillion in the 10 years to 2011, particularly during the rainy season. A study by the National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS) showed, computing the fuel costs and potential man-hour lost while stuck in traffic. According to the study, the possible additional costs from fuel add up to P4.212 billion a year, plus the time wasted which could have been spent for production, trade and business, the average annual cost of traffic congestion in the 2

National Capital Region is P137.519 billion. Thus, the cumulative cost of 10 years of traffic in the Philippines has amounted to P1.513 trillion. Such great amount could have been added to the National Budget of the government and utilized in rendering some basic services that benefits the citizenry. This Project Proposal is a three-fold system to efficiently manage the traffic situation in EDSA. The first part of the three-fold system focuses on the commuting service and transport system introduced here as Smart Transport System (STS). The solution offered is the use of Contactless cards as mode of fare payment, the installation of Smart Bus peripherals, Smart loading and unloading stations, and Smart Bus terminals. The second part focuses on the computerized Smart Traffic Operations System (STOS) and Traffic Operations Procedure (TOP). The introduction of a demerit system, the creation of EDSA Management Bureau (EMB) command centers. This second part shall be known as Smart Transport Operations Procedure (STOP) . The use of security microchips, Wi-Fi, Internet, QR-Codes, Command Center, Handheld devices, Smart Operations Procedures, and creation of a new office in Enhancing Traffic Apprehension and Operations in EDSA. The third and part of a three-fold system focuses on Road Safety Education, Traffic Education and dissemination of Driving Laws and Certification of drivers providing services to the community by driving vehicles. This third part is also focused on the institutionalization of Road Safety and Traffic Education (RoSTed) in Philippine schools and local communities which also includes professionalization of Public Utility Vehicles driver and issuance of Driver’s license.

Problem and its Background

Traffic congestion is prevalent primarily in the cities, particularly Quezon City, Manila and Makati. The main avenues of these cities, EDSA in particular, and even the secondary roads are often congested, and the problems of traffic congestion have become so serious that the economy is severely affected. To describe the magnitude of the traffic problem, EDSA was even dubbed as the largest parking lot on earth due to heavy traffic rendering vehicles stuck for hours along its stretch. Moreover, traffic congestion in the Metropolis, described by some witty minds as “carmageddon” (to emphasize its horrendous 3

effects) has also its negative impact on the environment and general health of the populace. According to the Secretary of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Ramon Paje, it has been observed that 70 to 80 per cent of air pollution in Metro Manila is caused by motor vehicles, and only 20-30 per cent is caused by emissions from industries and other stationary sources. Vehicles stuck for hours in the middle of traffic, render their motors idling for a long period which means there is a great amount of gas emission that pollutes the air we breathe. Hence, traffic problem is also a contributing factor to Climate Change – one of the major concerns of our government today, since our country being archipelagic in nature is found to be the most vulnerable, among Asian countries, to extreme events brought about by the effects of Climate Change. Another form of pollution caused by traffic congestion is noise pollution. Just imagine a thousand of vehicles idling in unison for a long period of time. There is literally an orchestra of different sounds that is being amplified by the concrete jungle that we have in the Metropolis. Traffic congestion has also its “hidden toll” on health and well-being of the general public. According to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) the growing incidence of cancer, respiratory ailments and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are found to be associated with factors such as traffic congestion, pollution and other stresses. This health issue, the report added, will be costing the country up to 6 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 unless the government is able to reduce such abovementioned factors. At present, the impact of NCDs on the local economy was estimated at 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent of GDP, according to Peter Sheehan, research director at Australia’s Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies. NCDs, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), are also known as chronic diseases which are not passed from person to person. The four main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructed pulmonary disease and asthma), and diabetes. The latest WHO data showed that NCDs kill 38 million people each year worldwide, and almost three quarters of the NCD deaths (roughly 28 million) occur in low- and middle-income countries.

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Another startling report about traffic congestion’s effect on health was made by Robert Lee Holts in his article published in a US Health Journal on November 8, 2011. It carries the banner, “Scientists Increasingly Link Vehicle Exhaust With Brain-Cell Damage, Higher Rates of Autism.” According to the report, as roadways choke on traffic, researchers suspect that the tailpipe exhaust from cars and trucks—especially tiny carbon particles already implicated in heart disease, cancer and respiratory ailments—may also injure brain cells and synapses key to learning and memory. New public-health studies and laboratory experiments suggest that, at every stage of life, traffic fumes exact a measurable toll on mental capacity, intelligence and emotional stability. "There are more and more scientists trying to find whether and why exposure to traffic exhaust can damage the human brain," says medical epidemiologist Jiu-Chiuan Chen at the University of Southern California who is analyzing the effects of traffic pollution on the brain health of 7,500 women in 22 states. Moreover, recent studies show that breathing street-level fumes for just 30 minutes can intensify electrical activity in brain regions responsible for behavior, personality and decision-making, changes that are suggestive of stress, scientists in the Netherlands recently discovered. Breathing normal city air with high levels of traffic exhaust for 90 days can change the way that genes turn on or off among the elderly; it can also leave a molecular mark on the genome of a new-born for life, a separate research teams at Columbia University and Harvard University reported. Children in areas affected by high levels of emissions, on average, scored more poorly on intelligence tests and were more prone to depression, anxiety and attention problems than children growing up in cleaner air, separate research teams in New York, Boston, Beijing, and Krakow, Poland, found. And older men and women long exposed to higher levels of traffic-related particles and ozone had memory and reasoning problems that effectively added five years to their mental age, other university researchers in Boston reported this year. The emissions may also heighten the risk of Alzheimer's disease and speed the effects of Parkinson's disease. "The evidence is growing that air pollution can affect the brain," says medical epidemiologist Heather Volk at USC's Keck School of Medicine. "We may be starting to realize the effects are broader than we realized."

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In the social aspect, study shows that traffic congestion also has negative impact on workers’ productivity and adversely affects students’ performance in school as well. Unpredicted traffic, especially during rainy season is the main cause of tardiness for both employees and students. Being stuck on traffic for a long time also brings pressure to both of them, thus causing downturn of their mental and physical energy that is supposed to be exerted in work and study activities. Some studies also found out that traffic problem affects family relations. Parents’ time to bond with their children became limited because such precious time that is supposed to be spent with their kids at home is being spent in agony while inside their private car or public transport due to snarling traffic in EDSA and other main thoroughfares. It is also noteworthy, that in some studies conducted, it has been deduced that traffic congestion in the Metropolis is relatively contributory to crime and poverty. Data from the Police reveal some traffic-related violence resulting to homicide or severe physical injury. Based on 2015 Traffic Index from *Numbeo.com, the Philippines is fourth (4th) among Asian countries and placed ninth (9th) in the world in terms of negative traffic situation, a recent report from the Philippine Star showed. Numbeo.com, which compares traffic data from 88 countries, released 2015 statistics on average commuting time, commuting dissatisfaction, traffic inefficiencies and carbon dioxide emissions in commuting.

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The Philippines has 202.31 points in the traffic index, ranking it just above neighboring Thailand with 200.79 points out of the perfect score of one (1). Bangladesh, meanwhile, has the worst traffic in Asia with a score of 280.43. Average one-way commuting and traveling time in the Philippines reaches 45.50 minutes before workers reach their destination, the Numbeo.com data indicate. The long commute in the Philippines also spurs a dissatisfaction rate of 3,724.39 on the index, which assumes that discontent increases exponentially with each minute after one-way commute time is longer than 25 minutes.

Causes of Traffic Congestion

Studies conducted by lead agencies (DOTC, MMDA and Traffic Management Centre), academic institutions and non-government organizations were able to identify several root causes of traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

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1. Lack of Discipline This is observed to be the most disruptive of congestion-causing behaviors. Indeed, there can never be order but chaos in the roadways without discipline. Brown (2011) in his paper vividly states that in the case of Metro Manila traffic, most of the congestions is caused by only a few types of disruptive behavior, and these are the following:

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Public bus/jeepney behavior

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Turn-lane behavior

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Intersection behavior

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Pedestrian behavior

He suggested that managing these behaviors should be the initial focus of any effort to impose order on Metro Manila roadways. In his paper, he discussed the problems associated with each, and offered strategies to manage them. The proponents of this Project believe that 50 % of the traffic problem can be resolved if discipline-imposing tools and mechanism are properly installed and managed by disciplined traffic enforcers.

2. Laxity in Enforcement of traffic rules and regulations This also falls under the behavioral domain of traffic congestion cause. We have enough traffic laws to enforce but they are simply not strictly enforced. The abovementioned behaviors can easily be managed and controlled if the law enforces themselves are disciplined enough to do so. But because they themselves are wanting in self-discipline they are prone to corrupt practices and this leads to the perpetuation and aggravation of the traffic congestion here in Metro Manila and other highly-urbanized cities in the country. One very important element of enforcement is the enforcement of ORDER. There are so many road markings and traffic signs intended to impose order in the roads but they are just being simply ignored. There is a collaborative infraction of traffic rules among the pedestrians, commuters, drivers and the enforcers themselves. Again, this is another issue of discipline for both perpetrators and traffic enforcers. Violation can only be controlled by strict imposition of the rule of law and order. And this entails an effective traffic 8

management system manned by disciplined enforcers and guided by technological support system. 3. Volume of vehicles plying the streets of Metro Manila is one of the major causes of traffic congestion According to a report from the Traffic Management Centre (TMC), there are more or less 316,345 vehicles per day that are travelling through, EDSA Highway as of May 2009, of which 12,689 are buses. Considering the rate of acquisition per year, say for example 1000/year, there is an addition of 6,000 more vehicles going to and fro EDSA this year, 2015. By using simple mathematics traffic problem could easily be quantified. It is the simple formula of volume and space. We continually increase the volume (vehicles) without increasing space (roadways and other infrastructure). This is due to the fact that we don’t phase out or retire old vehicles. Instead, our present system allows the importation of second hand vehicles and then recycles them for use. Additionally, we have so many forms of vehicles. Added to the jeepneys and taxis are tricycles and pedicabs plying interior roads that could serve as alternate routes for main transport vehicles (when needed) but can no longer be used because they are already congested, and worst some became permanent parking spaces of some irresponsible residents. Statistically, we have more vehicles than our existing roadways could accommodate.

MMDA identified the following root causes of traffic in EDSA: 1. The number of vehicles is the root cause of gridlock – there is a significant increase in the number of vehicles traversing EDSA. 2. Erring motorist 3. Undisciplined drivers of buses and other public utility vehicles 4. Colorum public utility vehicles

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According to HPG the root cause of traffic in EDSA are the following: 1. Lack of discipline and order in the part of the motorist and commuters 2. Bad habit of bus and jeepney drivers in loading and unloading passengers at or near the major intersections 3. Colurum buses 4. Vehicles defying the number coding system 5. Private vehicles using bus lanes Furthermore, HPG summarizes the root cause of the traffic in three: 1. The sheer number of vehicles 2. Lack of discipline in part of motorist 3. The number of vehicular accidents

EDSA was designed to hold 140,000 vehicles per day. As of September 2015 the volume of vehicle traversing EDSA has nearly doubled to approximately 260,000 per day. The government has identified six major chokepoints in EDSA namely; 1) Balintawak, 2) Cubao, 3) Ortigas, 4) Shaw, 5) Guadalupe, 6) and Taft intersections. These chokepoints are prone to congestions because buses, public utility vehicles, and sidewalk vendors occupying several lanes. In addition to that are undisciplined commuters. 4. Obstructions and Vehicles causing traffic in EDSA A study conducted by Yves Boquet in 2013 from her paper titled “BATTLING CONGESTION IN MANILA: THE EDSA PROBLEM”, it was mentioned that one of the cause of vehicular traffic in EDSA is the number of commercial establishments. In the paper it was described that the abundance of shopping centers, office plazas, and places of employment generates an enormous amount of traffic in EDSA. Furthermore, it was described in the paper that in terms of vehicular traffic in EDSA these are the most common problems: 1. Too many transport providers 10

2. Unreliable service 3. Irregular or unpredictable frequency 4. Route coverage is poor because vehicles concentrate on few corridors while neglecting other parts of the city The common problems mentioned leads to: 1. Low profitability 2. Poor quality vehicles 3. Poor safety performance 4. Exaggerated pollution 5. Mediocre consideration for passengers According to Angelito Vergel De Dios in his presentation titled “MMDA’s Major Traffic and Transport Management Programs” the cause of traffic in EDSA are the the following: 1. Obstructions and illegal structures along the carriageway 2. Traffic signals and road geometry 3. Public transport 4. Perception of corruption 5. Vehicular accidents and traffic safety 6. Law enforcement and motorist’s education and awareness De Dios further mentioned in an analogy that “When a pipeline is clogged, the flow is affected. When there is obstruction there is a slowdown on the flow of traffic”. He also stressed that obstruction to traffic flow should be removed like; illegal terminals, illegal vendors, illegal parking, and illegal loading, jaywalking and unloading of passengers. In contradiction to what the present MMDA Chairman Tolentino, he mentioned that “The volume of vehicle is never an issue in traffic management. What must be maintained are lanes cleared of obstacles so that motorist could pass”.

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5. Flooding as a cause of traffic On September 8, 2015 in what people call as “Carmageddon”, a very terrifying traffic had occurred in EDSA. Thousands of commuters spent hours in cars, taxi, busses, and sidewalks because of the horrendous traffic. The causes of traffic is flooding, even the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which is supposed to be the last place to be flooded, is not spared from the flood. This caused delay in both domestic and international flights. The authorities in NAIA mentioned of waist-deep flood water on the tarmac. Traffic authorities can only do so much; there are things which are beyond their control, like flooding. If an area is flooded, vehicles will stop which will result in traffic. Even though flood control measures were put in place, the volume of water is too much to handle. MMDA had point the finger on the amount of rainfall and that they have mentioned that the drainage were cleared but still due to the volume of rainfall the streets are still flooded. 6. Lack of Road Safety Education as a cause of Traffic There is no proper education in road safety in the Philippines. Road safety, traffic rules and regulations, professional courtesy in the streets and roads are not present in any curriculum in our school. There is no certification for traffic enforcers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, and tri-cycle drivers imposed in the country. There is no proper training for would be

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drivers in the country, no proper venue for practicing driving skills, and no institutionalized method of providing driving education to the citizen. In the part of the commuters, pedestrians, street vendors, and the citizen as a whole there are no standardized way of providing Road Safety Education. Commuters alight and board vehicles practically wherever possible. Pedestrians cross the roads anywhere and anytime. Street vendors sell their goods in the road and citizens buy their goods in the road. All of these mentioned above are one the main cause of traffic in EDSA. There are efforts to curb these problems but all of them prove to be ineffective. This is proven by prevalent situation which can be observed daily along the stretch of EDSA. 7. Lack of efficient apprehension as a cause of Traffic According to HPG they have a 30 seconds rule in apprehension of violators in EDSA wherein within the specified time limit the violations were explained and corresponding violation ticket was written and given to the driver. However, in a given scenario, the driver will refuse to accept that a traffic violation was committed. The traffic enforcer will be forced to explain and there will be a heated argument which sometime leads to confrontation. There isn’t enough manpower to apprehend violators, even with combined force of HPG and MMDA. To add to the confusion MMDA has its own ticketing system, LTO has its own, and HPG has its own. Depending on the traffic enforcer, the driver will have to deal with redeeming their confiscated license which brings enormous waste of their time. The problem of corruption among traffic enforcers is “Kotong”. This is one of the realities of the streets of EDSA where a traffic violator will negotiate to avoid driver’s license confiscation in exchange of money. There were also cases of name dropping wherein a powerful man, an elected official, police officers, a certain commission officer in the military or any powerful person’s name were being used to get away from traffic violation.

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8. Road accident as a cause of Traffic There are many forms and cases of accidents happening in EDSA every day. No matter what is the cause or reasons for the accidents one thing is for sure, it will cause heavy traffic. With limited space for the vehicle along EDSA one minor accident will cause major traffic which will affect the stretch of EDSA. In a worst case scenario a burning vehicle, a fatal accident, a roadside holdup, a crime is happening or a heated arguments which turns to taking one’s life any of these will cause traffic. Worse, life will be in danger because the response team, a firefighting unit, an ambulance, police officers or a first aid team cannot respond quickly because of the traffic. Removing the vehicle and assisting the injured will not only cause traffic but will also means loss of precious time to save a person’s life. These are the realities of life in EDSA.

9. Lack of understanding of Driver’s and Pedestrian’s Obligation on the Road Carl Wais gave an explanation of the Driver’s and Pedestrians obligation on the road in his article “Highway Traffic Offences”. This states that everyday news of road accidents involving cars and pedestrians are prevalent. However, many of us are not aware of the responsibilities of the driver and the pedestrian. When a driver hit a pedestrian, the court holds the driver responsible and it is up to the driver to prove his innocence. Which brings us to the question as to where do drivers and pedestrians stand in relation to each other? When an accident does takes place between a pedestrian and a motor vehicle that has the greater responsibility? How should we see who is at fault, is it the driver or the pedestrian? What accounts of actions must be considered to see who is accountable? These are some basic questions that the driver and pedestrians must be made aware of, if one is aware of the consequences of its action one will be carefully not to trample into anyone’s right on the road. For example, does a pedestrian know the General Pedestrian Rules? Do we even have one? Is it institutionalized? Are the pedestrians aware of it? Where was it taught? Who teaches it?

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Does a driver know about the Driver Obligations and Pedestrians right of way? Or the does the Driver know the Motorist duty of care? We must face the fact that there is no formal way to teach drivers and pedestrians regarding the rules and regulations, the actions that one must do and what are the responsibilities.

10. Lack of Awareness of the Driving Laws in the Philippines Not all drivers are aware of the driving laws in the Philippines, presently, a driver driving a Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) only need a professional driver’s license to to provide service on the road. Do they have formal training? Are they aware of the driving laws? Do they know about the obligations of a driver? The answer to the questions is a resounding “No” not most of them only a handful few who have taken formal driving lessons, but the reality is that not all driving schools provide these lessons as well. Are drivers aware of the “Right of Way”? Do they know who has the right of way in a given situation? Are they aware of the proper use of headlights? Are they aware of all the traffic signs? Do we have a unified traffic signs all-over the Philippines? Or we have traffic signs but differ in one place.

11. Lack of Formal Training for Drivers and Pedestrians There are many driving institutions or driving schools existing today, however, there is no formal curriculum for driving instructions, there may be some regulations in establishing driving schools in the country but there are no certified content and materials which will be used in all driving schools. Moreover, the citizens will have to pay a hefty tuition fee to enroll in such driving schools. Therefore, those who can afford are the only ones undergoing formal training in driving. Most of the drivers, if not all, thriving in EDSA and the rest of the country perhaps, rely on non-formal driving lessons. Non-formal driving lessons are those drivers who learn how to drive vehicles on their own or guided by their friends or families. More often than not, those who teach driving lessons to others did not go to formal driving lessons. There is no

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law or guidelines which state that there should be institutionalized driving lessons in the country. For all we know “little knowledge is dangerous” literally and figuratively. 12. Lack of Road Alternatives going to North and South Presently there are only two routes going to North and South and these are EDSA and C5. These two routes are equally congested and experiencing heavy traffic. Secondary roads were not considered alternatives due to the fact that only light vehicles can pass through it and in addition there are too many obstacles and turns which would hinder smooth flow of transportation. Provincial busses cannot use the secondary roads, therefore, having no choice but to use EDSA and C5. Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) coming and going all converge in EDSA, this scheme has significantly contributed to the worsening traffic in EDSA. C5 is also very congested, since this is being used also by PUV’s and to add to that C5 also cuts through EDSA. Solution Smart Transport System (STS) - aims to establish a proof of concept on the utilization of Automated Fare Collection (AFC) via Smart Ticketing System (STS) on public transportation, particularly buses, and to be expanded soon to taxicabs and UV express transport group. Second, since the overarching objective of the Project is to provide at least part of a solution to traffic congestion in Metro Manila, the proponents also aim to pilot-test a technology driven Smart Busses and Smart Loading and Unloading Station focused on monitoring traffic related activities like travel time prediction, bus scheduling, incident detection, and traffic violations among others. The objectives of STS: To make commuting easy and convenient for the commuters using cash less transactions, secured travel, road safety in EDSA, and improve the economy by moving goods and services faster. To create a new form of cashless transactions for the Filipino people wherein goods and services will not require payment of cash, thus, will create more opportunities in exploring Technology based economy. To efficiently collect taxes for the sale of goods and 16

services via electronic means of tracking purchases this will lead to eliminating tax evasion and misrepresentation. Smart Transport Operations Procedure (STOP) - introduces an efficient traffic operations procedure which will effectively manage the worsening traffic situation in EDSA. This paper will support the concept paper on Smart Transport Systems in terms of managing traffic violations and apprehensions. STOP will also serve as a pilot study in improving the existing driver’s license in the country, in terms of: a) security of the information contained in the physical driver’s license b) issuance of driver’s license c) improve driver’s database d) issuance of specialized driver’s license for bus drivers, taxi drivers, jeepney drivers, tri-cycle driver, student driver, and professional drivers.

The objectives of STOP: To create the EDSA Management Bureau (EMB) under the DOTC. The components of the bureau are: a) Existing HPG Deployed in EDSA, b) MMDA Traffic Enforcer, c) LTFRB, d) LTO, e) DOH, f) and BIR. This bureau will directly manage all the components mentioned in this concept paper. To create the EDSA Command Centers (ECC), there will be three command centers; a) South Command Center b) North Command Center c) Central Command Center. The command centers will house the components of EMB. To create Smart Traffic Operations System (STOS), a computerized system which will manage all the EMB database, communicate with the LTO database, communicate with the LTFRB database, communicate with HPG database, communicate with MMDA database, communicate with DOH database, and communicate with BIR database. STOS will also create the interface between the driver, traffic enforcers and other interfaces needed in efficient traffic management. Conduct thorough research to effectively find a solution in the existing causes of traffic woes in EDSA. The research will be done collaboratively and simultaneously with the research in Smart Transport Systems (STS). This will allow seamless integrations of the two systems in delivering solutions to the worsening traffic situation.

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To create Traffic Operations Procedure (TOP), this will enhance, modify, or introduce laws or traffic rules and regulations through the legislative bodies of the government to efficiently manage traffic operations primarily in EDSA and the rest of the country if possible. To install fiber optic cables, security camera, and Wi-Fi blanket throughout EDSA. This will be seamlessly integrated in the loading and unloading bus station in the Smart Transport System. Road Safety and Traffic Education (RoSTed) - aims to address a very salient component of solving the traffic problem, and that is education. As identified at the outset, lack of discipline is the major behavioral cause of traffic congestion. To address this concern the proponents will be designing educational materials on Traffic Education and for the sake of institutionalization, eventually, it will be proposed as supplementary learning activity in the elementary level. This is in cognizant to a new Bill (House Bill 4160) authored by Congressmen Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) and Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (Party List, Abante Mindanao). Said new Bill, if passed into law, shall be known as the “Road Courtesy, Discipline, and Traffic Safety Education Act.” Such law mandates that Road Courtesy, Discipline and Traffic Safety Education will be included in the curriculum of elementary and secondary schools. (Please see attached Concept Paper: Appendix III) The objectives of RoSTed: 1. Include Road Safety and Traffic Education in the K-12 Education program of the government. As early as Kindergarten Road Safety Education or RSE should be taught to the students. This will create safety education among young children so that when they grow up they will always remember what they are taught. It should be taught from Kindergarten to Grade 10 to make sure that the students will always remember safety on the road. In grades 11-12, Traffic Education should be taught to the students, these are the age wherein they will be able to secure Driver’s License and will be able to drive a motorized vehicle. With their background in Road Safety and additional traffic education, these new breed of drivers will have understanding on the driver’s and pedestrians right on the road. Driving laws should be taught to the students as well from Grade 5-10 this is the 18

age wherein students will be able to comprehend the law and in Grades 11-12 they may be able to have an NC1 in driving. 2. TESDA should create certification for drivers in the following category: a. Common Drivers - these are the drivers who will not provide services to the public in terms of driving a Public Utility Vehicle or will not use driving as a source of income. This will follow the existing driving lessons for regular drivers of any vehicles not intended for commercial purposes. b. Professional Truck Drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a truck, depending on what kind of truck, which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and driver’s rights and obligation on the road. There will be a specialized category on this as well depending on what kind of truck will the person be driving. c. Professional Bus Drivers – this certification will show skills in driving a bus which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and drivers’ rights and obligation on the road. d. Professional Taxi Drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a taxi which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and drivers’ rights and obligation on the road. e. Professional Jeepney Drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a jeepney which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and drivers’ rights and obligation on the road. f. Professional Tri-cycle Drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a tri-cycle which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and drivers’ rights and obligation on the road. g. Motorcycle drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a motorcycle which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and drivers rights and obligation on the road 19

TESDA can authorize schools and other training institutions to offer the abovementioned driver’s category. This will ensure professionalized services of the driver in their particular certification. 3. LTO should also provide specialized drivers permit to those professional drivers mentioned above. This will ensure proper road safety and traffic education among the motorist. This will be on top of the regular driver’s license they issue. Thus, this will eliminate “Professional Driver’s License” from LTO. The specialized driver’s permit will replace this. All professional drivers using EDSA will have these specialized driving permits. LTO can follow the same category they used but will incorporate training from TESDA. This means that before issuing a Driving permit, a person must have certification from TESDA first and depending on the TESDA certification LTO will provide the driver’s permit.

Concept Summary Proof Of Concept (POC) – this is Phase I of the project. POC will help determine the practicability and scalability of the whole project. This phase will conduct Experimental Research to prove the concept. The purpose of conducting an Experimental Research is to: 1. To test the solution in an environment where series of test can be conducted to perfect the solution 2. To avoid worsening the traffic situation in EDSA by creating test infrastructure 3. To simulate the solution in a controlled area before deploying in EDSA 4. To find out potential problem before it exist in the deployment stage of the project 5. To practice deployment or to create a staging area before implementation.

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Smart Transport System (STS) – this is Phase II of the project. This phase will achieve the following: 1. Ease the traffic congestion in EDSA 2. Minimize travel time of commuters 3. Faster bus dispatch 4. Safer more accurate transactions 5. Safer Travel 6. Paperless transactions 7. Bus monitoring 8. Monitor Bus driver behavior 9. Online reports and analytics 10. Improved collection of Tax from Bus Operators and sale of tickets 11. Revenue generation from advertisements 12. Elimination of colorum buses travelling in EDSA Smart Traffic Operations Procedure (STOP) - This is Phase III of the project. This phase will achieve the following: 1. Manage the number of vehicles traversing EDSA 2. Efficient apprehension of traffic violators 3. Eliminate the corruption from traffic violations 4. Efficient apprehension of pedestrians 5. Efficient monitoring of traffic, road accidents, criminal activities, and other causes of traffic in EDSA 6. Enhance road safety and curve out unruly behavior of motorist in EDSA 7. Computerized Smart Traffic Operations System (STOS) 8. Enhanced Traffic Operations Procedure (TOP) 9. Efficient management and monitoring of vehicles traversing EDSA 10. Efficient collection of fees resulting from traffic violations and pedestrian violations

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Road Safety and Traffic Education (RoSTed) –this is the last phase of the project, Phase IV. This phase will achieve the following: 1. Reduce the number of road accidents in EDSA and the rest of the country 2. Institutionalized RSE, Traffic Education and information dissemination of Driving Laws 3. Create professional driver’s permit and license 4. Speed up the acquisition and release of driver’s license and permit of LTO 5. Support the other 2 approaches in the total solution of traffic problem in EDSA 6. Create certification and professionalization of drivers driving PUV and other vehicles used for personal or business endeavor 7. Create professional drivers using the road of EDSA and the rest of the country

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Smart Transport System: The Role of Technology in the Efficient Management of Traffic Situations in EDSA

A Concept Paper

Researchers: Dr. Benjamin G. Quito Dr. Villamor S. Quebral Dr. Edna C Aquino

Rizal Technological University Graduate School Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Philippines

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ABSTRACT

This concept paper is the first part of a three-fold system for an efficient management of the traffic situation in EDSA. This paper focuses on the commuting service and transport system introduced here as Smart Transport System (STS). The solution offered is the use of Contactless cards as mode of fare payment, the installation of Smart Bus peripherals, Smart loading and unloading stations, and Smart Bus terminals. The second part, which is underway, is the introduction of the Smart Traffic Operations Procedure (STOP). And the last and final part of the total solution of traffic problem is the institutionalization of Road Safety and Traffic Education (RoSTed) in Philippine schools and local communities. Keywords: Automated Fare Collection (AFC), Smart Ticketing System (STS), Smart Bus, Smart Station, Smart bus terminal, GPS, NFC, QR-Codes, Contactless cards

I.

INTRODUCTION Next to Climate Change, the most pressing problem lurking on the Philippine horizon

nowadays is Traffic congestion. Both public transport commuters and private car owners are experiencing the horrendous effect of a snail-paced traffic engulfing almost all main thoroughfares in Metro Manila. Travelling within the Metropolis, from one city to another is no longer a joy ride but an “ordeal” that is causing mental, emotional and physical fatigue to travelers. It can be considered as a “man-made disaster” increasing daily in gravity and victimizing young and old in all walks of life. Traffic congestion and traffic discipline are perennial topics of discussion at coffee shops and in meeting rooms throughout Metro Manila. It is an accepted fact that congestion hinders the smooth flow of goods and services due for the public. It also contributes significantly to pollution, and costs billions of pesos in wasted fuel, time and productivity. Many studies have been conducted aiming to come up with solutions, and huge amount of money was spent for years, but with very little real improvement to show for the expense.

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II.

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Traffic congestion is prevalent primarily in the cities, particularly Quezon City, Manila

and Makati. The main avenues of these cities, EDSA in particular, and even the secondary roads are often congested, and the problems of traffic congestion have become so serious that the economy is severely affected. To describe the magnitude of the traffic problem, EDSA was even dubbed as the largest parking lot on earth due to heavy traffic rendering vehicles stuck for hours along its stretch. A.

Impact on the Economy In a recent report it released, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said that

despite the Philippines’ better-than-expected economic growth, “the Philippines risks losing to P6 billion a day by 2030 because of worsening traffic jams.” The JICA said that the costs of traffic will continue to rise if adequate solutions to ease congestion are not immediately implemented. Additionally, the Philippines lost P1.513 trillion in the 10 years to 2011, particularly during the rainy season. A study by the National Center for Transportation Studies (NCTS) showed, computing the fuel costs and potential man-hour lost while stuck in traffic. According to the study, the possible additional costs from fuel add up to P4.212 billion a year, plus the time wasted which could have been spent for production, trade and business, the average annual cost of traffic congestion in the National Capital Region is P137.519 billion. Thus, the cumulative cost of 10 years of traffic in the Philippines has amounted to P1.513 trillion. Such great amount could have been added to the National Budget of the government and utilized in rendering some basic services that benefits the citizenry. B. Impact on the Environment Moreover, traffic congestion in the Metropolis, described by some witty minds as “carmageddon” (to emphasize its horrendous effects) has also its negative impact on the environment and general health of the populace. According to the Secretary of Department of 3

Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Ramon Paje, it has been observed that 70 to 80 per cent of air pollution in Metro Manila is caused by motor vehicles, and only 20-30 per cent is caused by emissions from industries and other stationary sources. Vehicles stuck for hours in the middle of traffic, render their motors idling for a long period which means there is a great amount of gas emission that pollutes the air we breathe. Hence, traffic problem is also a contributing factor to Climate Change – one of the major concerns of our government today, since our country being archipelagic in nature is found to be the most vulnerable, among Asian countries, to extreme events brought about by the effects of Climate Change. Another form of pollution caused by traffic congestion is noise pollution. Just imagine a thousand of vehicles idling in unison for a long period of time. There is literally an orchestra of different sounds that is being amplified by the concrete jungle that we have in the Metropolis instead of having trees that could serve as noise barriers and absorbent of carbon dioxide. C. Impact on Health Traffic congestion has also its “hidden toll” on health and well-being of the general public. According to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) the growing incidence of cancer, respiratory ailments and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are found to be associated with factors such as traffic congestion, pollution and other stresses. This health issue, the report added, will be costing the country up to 6 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 unless the government is able to reduce such above-mentioned factors. At present, the impact of NCDs on the local economy was estimated at 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent of GDP, according to Peter Sheehan, research director at Australia’s Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies. NCDs, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), are also known as chronic diseases which are not passed from person to person. The four main types of NCDs are

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cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructed pulmonary disease and asthma), and diabetes. The latest WHO data showed that NCDs kill 38 million people each year worldwide, and almost three quarters of the NCD deaths (roughly 28 million) occur in low- and middleincome countries. Another startling report about traffic congestion’s effect on health was made by Robert Lee Holts in his article published in a US Health Journal on November 8, 2011. It carries the banner, “Scientists Increasingly Link Vehicle Exhaust With Brain-Cell Damage, Higher Rates of Autism.” According to the report, as roadways choke on traffic, researchers suspect that the tailpipe exhaust from cars and trucks—especially tiny carbon particles already implicated in heart disease, cancer and respiratory ailments—may also injure brain cells and synapses key to learning and memory. New public-health studies and laboratory experiments suggest that, at every stage of life, traffic fumes exact a measurable toll on mental capacity, intelligence and emotional stability. "There are more and more scientists trying to find whether and why exposure to traffic exhaust can damage the human brain," says medical epidemiologist Jiu-Chiuan Chen at the University of Southern California who is analyzing the effects of traffic pollution on the brain health of 7,500 women in 22 states. Moreover, recent studies show that breathing street-level fumes for just 30 minutes can intensify electrical activity in brain regions responsible for behavior, personality and decision-making, changes that are suggestive of stress, scientists in the Netherlands recently discovered. Breathing normal city air with high levels of traffic exhaust for 90 days can change the way that genes turn on or off among the elderly; it can also leave a molecular mark on the genome of a new-born for life, a separate research teams at Columbia University and Harvard University reported. Children in areas affected by high levels of emissions, on average, scored more poorly on intelligence tests and were more prone to depression, anxiety and attention 5

problems than children growing up in cleaner air, separate research teams in New York, Boston, Beijing, and Krakow, Poland, found. And older men and women long exposed to higher levels of traffic-related particles and ozone had memory and reasoning problems that effectively added five years to their mental age, other university researchers in Boston reported this year. The emissions may also heighten the risk of Alzheimer's disease and speed the effects of Parkinson's disease. "The evidence is growing that air pollution can affect the brain," says medical epidemiologist Heather Volk at USC's Keck School of Medicine. "We may be starting to realize the effects are broader than we realized." D. Social Impact In the social aspect, study shows that traffic congestion also has negative impact on workers’ productivity and adversely affects students’ performance in school as well. Unpredicted traffic, especially during rainy season is the main cause of tardiness for both employees and students. Being stuck on traffic for a long time also brings pressure to both of them, thus causing downturn of their mental and physical energy that is supposed to be exerted in work and study activities. Some studies also found out that traffic problem affects family relations. Parents’ time to bond with their children became limited because such precious time that is supposed to be spent with their kids at home is being spent in agony while inside their private car or public transport due to snarling traffic in EDSA and other main thoroughfares. It is also noteworthy, that in some studies conducted, it has been deduced that traffic congestion in the Metropolis is relatively contributory to crime and poverty. Data from the Police reveal some traffic-related violence resulting to homicide or severe physical injury. E. Ranking in Traffic Situation Based on 2015 Traffic Index from *Numbeo.com, the Philippines is fourth (4th) among Asian countries and placed ninth (9th) in the world in terms of negative traffic situation, a recent report from the Philippine Star showed.

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Numbeo.com, which compares traffic data from 88 countries, released 2015 statistics on average commuting time, commuting dissatisfaction, traffic inefficiencies and carbon dioxide emissions in commuting. The Philippines has 202.31 points in the traffic index, ranking it just above neighboring Thailand with 200.79 points out of the perfect score of one (1). Bangladesh, meanwhile, has the worst traffic in Asia with a score of 280.43. Average one-way commuting and traveling time in the Philippines reaches 45.50 minutes before workers reach their destination, the Numbeo.com data indicate. The long commute in the Philippines also spurs a dissatisfaction rate of 3,724.39 on the index, which assumes that discontent increases exponentially with each minute after one-way commute time is longer than 25 minutes.

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The index also indicates the country's traffic inefficiencies at 217.82 assuming driving and commute times vis-a-vis economies of scale. Kenya topped the index with a score of 317.24 as worst in the world, while Turkmenistan received a score of 45.49 for having the most efficient traffic management. (*Research firm Numbeo.com was launched as a website in April 2009 by Serbian software engineer and mathematician Mladen Adamovic) F. Causes of Traffic Congestion Studies conducted by lead agencies (DOTC, MMDA and Traffic Management Centre), academic institutions and non-government organizations were able to identify several root causes of traffic congestion in Metro Manila. These causes can be generally classified into four: behavioral, volume-based, technological and ministerial. 1. Lack of Discipline is observed to be the most disruptive of congestion-causing behaviors. Indeed, there can never be order but chaos in the roadways without discipline. Brown (2011) in his paper vividly states that in the case of Metro Manila traffic, most of the congestions is caused by only a few types of disruptive behavior, and these are the following:

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Public bus/jeepney behavior

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Turn-lane behavior

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Intersection behavior

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Pedestrian behavior

He suggested that managing these behaviors should be the initial focus of any effort to impose order on Metro Manila roadways. In his paper, he discussed the problems associated with each, and offered strategies to manage them. The proponents of this Project believe that 50 % of the traffic problem can be resolved if discipline-

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imposing tools and mechanism are properly installed and managed by disciplined traffic enforcers. 2.

Laxity in Enforcement of traffic rules and regulations. This also falls under the behavioral domain of traffic congestion cause. We have enough traffic laws to enforce but they are simply not strictly enforced. The abovementioned behaviors can easily be managed and controlled if the law enforces themselves are disciplined enough to do so. But because they themselves are wanting in self-discipline they are prone to corrupt practices and this leads to the perpetuation and aggravation of the traffic congestion here in Metro Manila and other highly-urbanized cities in the country. One very important element of enforcement is the enforcement of ORDER. There are so many road markings and traffic signs intended to impose order in the roads but they are just being simply ignored. There is a collaborative infraction of traffic rules among the pedestrians, commuters, drivers and the enforcers themselves. Again, this is another issue of discipline for both perpetrators and traffic enforcers. Violation can only be controlled by strict imposition of the rule of law and order. And this entails an effective traffic management system manned by disciplined enforcers and guided by technological support system.

3. Volume of vehicles plying the streets of Metro Manila is one of the major causes of traffic congestion.

According to a report from the Traffic Management Centre (TMC), there are more or less 316,345 vehicles per day that are travelling through, EDSA Highway as of May 2009, of which 12,689 are buses. Considering the rate of acquisition per year, say for example 1000/year, there is an addition of 6,000 more vehicles going to and fro EDSA this year, 2015. By using simple mathematics traffic problem could easily be quantified. It is the simple formula of volume and space. We continually increase the 9

volume (vehicles) without increasing space (roadways and other infrastructure). This is due to the fact that we don’t phase out or retire old vehicles. Instead, our present system allows the importation of second hand vehicles and then recycle them for use. Additionally, we have so many forms of vehicles. Added to the jeepneys and taxis are tricycles and pedicabs plying interior roads that could serve as alternate routes for main transport vehicles (when needed) but can no longer be used because they are already congested, and worst some became permanent parking spaces of some irresponsible residents. Statistically, we have more vehicles than our existing roadways could accommodate. 4. Poor and Inadequate Infrastructure is another major cause of traffic problem.

Taking from the above discussion regarding volume and space, volume and space can be increased simultaneously without defeating the purpose of solving traffic congestion. This is by constructing multi-layered road networks to accommodate mass transportation system (MTS). And this MTS includes not only the physical roads, rails and bridges but also technological infrastructure that will guide and support such system. This long term and ultimate solution for traffic congestion in Metro Manila has already been done. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency or JICA has already presented a proposal to the Philippine government on how to improve the country’s transportation system. The proposal is packaged as a “dream plan” and outlines short-term and long-term developments. If and when implemented, it will cost the government around P2.3 trillion. To summarize, JICA's innovative proposal called "Intelligent Transport System" or ITS which will maximize existing road capacity is doable as it calls for better traffic engineering and management by requiring "geometric improvements, pedestrian facilities, traffic surveillance, accident prevention, traffic safety education, and traffic enforcement."

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The JICA Philippines Senior Representative Eigo Azukizawa has noted that JICA's recommendation of ITS "requires a signal control system, travel time prediction, road maintenance, intelligent parking, incident detection, and bus scheduling assistance among others. By putting modern technology and discipline into traffic management, the JICA study said the Philippines can make better use of available infrastructure." 5. There is a need for new Laws that will support the implementation of recommended solutions to traffic congestion. One very urgent law that is needed to be passed is the Law of Reduction. This pertains to a law that provides for the phasing out of old vehicles and regulation of acquisition for new vehicles. Another legal matter that is urgently needed is a law that provides for establishing an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) backed up by an advanced technological infrastructure. This is in preparation of the anticipated implementation of the “Dream Plan” prepared by JICA and has been approved by the President. All initiatives, recommendations and programs of action leading to the solution of traffic problem will go down to drain without laws and policies that will pave the way for implementation. Hence, this Project Proposal is anchored on three major principles: leaders’ political will, integration and interoperability. Political will is a major factor in solving the present traffic problem. Our government officials first and foremost must “think out of the box” and be adaptive to change rather than resistant to it. They must also be sensitively receptive to doable recommendations (like that of JICA’s “Dream Plan”) and set immediately implementation strategies. Integration as per this proposal refers to pooling of resources, i.e. financial, technological, and managerial in order to come up with a holistic and consolidated approach to the problem. Funding is the oil of the project, technology will be the vehicle 11

and a management entity will be the driver that would manage the implementation of the Project. In an Integrated Public Transport System cooperation of major stakeholders is a must and could also be a major barrier once not achieved. Public transport operators, commuters, IT companies and service providers should agree in a single scheme or standard of operation. Particularly when smart ticketing system is utilized as proposed in this Project, because it would require standardized fare scheme for all public utility vehicles. III.

PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

The purpose of the Project is three-fold. First, it aims to establish a proof of concept on the utilization of Automated Fare Collection (AFC) via Smart Ticketing System (STS) on public transportation, particularly buses, and to be expanded soon to taxicabs and UV express transport group. Second, since the overarching objective of the Project is to provide at least part of a solution to traffic congestion in Metro Manila, the proponents also aim to pilot-test a technology driven Smart Busses and Smart Loading and Unloading Station focused on monitoring traffic related activities like travel time prediction, bus scheduling, incident detection, and traffic violations among others.

And third, this Project also aims to address a very salient component of solving the traffic problem, and that is education. As identified at the outset, lack of discipline is the major behavioral cause of traffic congestion. To address this concern the proponents will be designing educational materials on Traffic Education and for the sake of institutionalization, eventually, it will be proposed as supplementary learning activity in the elementary level.

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This is in cognizant to a new Bill (House Bill 4160) authored by Congressmen Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) and Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (Party List, Abante Mindanao). Said new Bill, if passed into law, shall be known as the “Road Courtesy, Discipline, and Traffic Safety Education Act.” Such law mandates that Road Courtesy, Discipline and Traffic Safety Education will be included in the curriculum of elementary and secondary schools. IV.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A.

Goals and Objectives The main goal of this paper to alleviate the worsening traffic in EDSA and address the problems mentioned in the Problems and Backgrounds. To make commuting easy and convenient for the commuters using cash less transactions, secured travel, road safety in EDSA, and improve the economy by moving goods and services faster. To create a new form of cashless transactions for the Filipino people wherein goods and services will not require payment of cash, thus, will create more opportunities in exploring Technology based economy. To efficiently collect taxes for the sale of goods and services via electronic means of tracking purchases this will lead to eliminating tax evasion and misrepresentation. To serve as a model concept which can adopted by every cities all over the Philippines.

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B.

Methodology Automated Fare Collection The commuter will buy contactless cards or E-Cards from a buying station or any distributers e.g. 7-11, mini-stop, family marts, and other retailers. This Fare Card will be used by the commuters for boarding and un-boarding in the bus. The Fare Card can be reloaded in any loading station (just like cellphone reloading) or in designated loading machine. Where to buy and load E-Cards

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From the bus loading station the commuter will board the bus and tap it on the contactless card reader. The card reader will show the amount remaining in the E-Card and will be charge from the station the commuter boarded up to the last station, this will ensure that the commuter had enough remaining balance for the commute. If the E-Card does not have enough account balance, the card reader will make an audible sound and will flash on the screen that the commuter does not have enough balance for the commute. The system will then relay the message to the drivers on-board dashboard monitor so that the driver will be informed of the situation. The passenger will then be politely asked to un-board the bus. When the commuter wishes to un-board the bus in a station, the commuter will then again tap the card reader and the exact fare will be debited to the account. Since the card was initially charge the full amount to the last station, the card reader will return the corresponding rebates to the card load. This will ensure that the exact amount was rendered.

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This Automated Fare Collection will ensure that there is no cash transaction between the commuter and the bus operators. At present the bus operators have a conductor and a driver at one time. The conductor collects the fare and issues tickets for the journey and the driver is concentrating in driving. With this new AFC there is no need for conductor since the transaction is automatic and there is no need to issue tickets since there is an automated debit form the E-Card. This will save the bus operator in manpower and thus reducing operating cost. This will also eliminate the use of paper tickets and thus reduce the use of paper in every transaction, which in turn help save the trees. This is also an added security measures in the part of the commuters since they don’t have to carry cash for paying their commute and also for the bus operators since there is no cash that will exchange hands from the commuter and the bus operators. This will also assist the bus operators in auditing since every transaction is automated. The bus operator need not audit the driver or count how much was earned in every trip. The transactions can be viewed via secured internet connection, just like viewing an online banking transaction. The bus operator can log-in to the secured website of the AFC and they can view how much money was earned in real time, how many trips every bus has taken, how many trips all of their buses had taken and how much was earned by each bus or all of their busses. The amount of the transaction of all the bus of the bus operators will be deposited in their account daily, weekly, bi-monthly or monthly depending on the result of the 16

negotiation between the AFC provider and the bus operators. The tax will be automatically withheld from the earnings of the bus operators, this will ensure proper tax is collected by the government and the bus operators need not worry about tax payment. The government can also efficiently and correctly collect taxes from the sale and loading of the E-Cards, since the transaction is digital the government can easily audit the tax payment or the tax payment can be automatically deposited to the government daily, weekly, bi-monthly or monthly. There will also have an earning in the form of advertisements in the E-Cards since this is a long time ownership of the E-cards companies can have their logo or products printed on the E-Cards. The government can also collect tax from this advertisement in the form of earnings of the AFC provider. Each E-Card will have a unique Identification Number for security purpose. The transactions will be recorded in the chips embedded in the E-Cards. If the E-Card is damaged or not readable by the card reader, the commuter will not be allowed to board the bus. In any case that the card was damaged while the commuter is inside the bus and the E-Card is not readable upon un-boarding, the amount will be debited from the load and commuter can have their E-Card replaced. This AFC will eliminate overloading bus, since the card reader will also count the number of passengers who boarded the bus and un-board the bus. If the bus is on its full capacity, the card reader will not allow charging anymore. The driver can then politely decline the commuter. In any case that the driver will allow the passenger, even though the bus is already in full capacity, the on-board video camera recording will capture the incident and the on-board dashboard monitor of the driver will show that there was an attempt to load the bus beyond its full capacity. When the bus reaches the nearby bus station the on-board dashboard will communicate to the display monitor in the bus station to relay information on how many was on-board the bus and how many had alighted the bus. The display monitor in the bus station will alert the officer that there was an attempt 17

to overload the bus since the driver allowed the commuter to board the bus without paying, that passengers E-Card will be detected by the card reader and the officer can take over from there. For future use, the AFC can be used as payment to shopping malls, fast food stores, convenient stores, and government transactions to name a few. The AFC can also be used as payment in taxi or other utility vehicles with card readers. The AFC smart card will also be in MRT or LRT as future integration. Smart Busses All the bus plying EDSA will be equipped with Wireless connectivity, GPS, sensors, touch sensitive dashboard screen, on-board cameras, in-dash camera, card reader machine, and QR-Codes. This will be the initial investments of the bus operators. Provincial busses plying EDSA will also be included in this system; however, they will have limited functionalities and integration. The provincial busses will only use the unloading bus station and they will not be allowed to pick up commuters along EDSA. All the bus leaving the bus terminal will slide in their Drivers Permit (LTO will issue this, there is a separate system for this which is in another project), to the Buses’ on-board Touch sensitive Dashboard Screen. The information of the driver will then be stored in the on-board Touch sensitive Dashboard Screen. The on-board Touch sensitive Dashboard Screen contains the information of the bus. The information are: bus number, driver’s information, plate number, date, time, live video of the road through in-dash camera, capture/send violation button, emergency button, the available seats, maximum capacity, the route, the location of the bus loading and unloading station, total number of trips, the weather, live picture of on-board camera, the number of minutes spent in loading bus station, and any violation.

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Touch Sensitive Dashboard Monitor The information contained in the black area or the first column will be available to the traffic enforcers and the violation will also be available to them. This will allow for faster apprehension. The driver’s smart card will be scanned by the traffic enforcer for appropriate violation charges. The second column in the touch sensitive dashboard screen, contain the date and time. The live video feed of the road will enable the driver to report any violation on the road through the capture/send violation button located just beneath the live video feed. This will then be sent to the command center for appropriate action and apprehension of the violation. E.g., a private vehicle is using the yellow bus lane or a vehicle is constantly swerving, the driver can tap the capture/send violation button and the command center will dispatch officers to apprehend the violator. In case of any accident or the bus is malfunctioning, the driver will tap the emergency button and the location, the picture, the location, and video clip will be sent to command center for appropriate action. The third column contains the number of available seat and the maximum capacity of passengers. This will be shown in the loading bus station monitor as well, this will allow both the driver and the passenger that there are on “x” number of seat available. The live route beneath will show the driver the location of the loading and 19

unloading bus station, this will also allow the passengers in the loading station to know the Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of the bus. In this feed the driver will also know the status of the traffic ahead, whether there is an accident, road emergency, and detours. This will allow the driver to make better judgement. The forth column contains the total number of trips made by the bus; this information will be available to the bus operator as well. This will allow the bus operator to know how many trips a bus had made. This will also show the whether to allow the driver to prepare for rain or any whether condition which will help the driver to make decision on the manner or behavior of driving. This column will also contain the live video feed of the on-board camera so that the driver will see how the passengers are doing or are there any commotion inside the bus, this is also recorded for documentation purposes. This is also an added security for the passenger, in any case that there is an emergency or commotion inside the bus, the driver may call for help using the emerge button in the screen. This will send the information to the command center and the command center can view the on-board camera for the passenger and the dashboard camera as well. This will allow the command center to do appropriate actions. The bottom part of the touch sensitive dashboard screen will show the time remaining on the loading station, this will allow the driver to make necessary actions in order not violate the time allowed in a loading station. If there is a violation committed by the driver the screen will also show the violation. The touch sensitive dashboard screen is tamper proof so no one can tamper it, except the relevant authorities. Anything shown on the dashboard is recorded and can be accessed by the command center. This will also enforce good and ethical driving behavior since the driver knows that his driving behavior is being monitored and recorded.

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Smart Loading and Unloading Bus Station The busses will only load and unload passengers in the designated bus stations. There are two types of bus stations: 1) the Loading station and 2) the unloading station. The Loading Station This is where the commuters wait in line to get boarded into the bus. There will be two queues: 1) for regular passengers 2) for the senior, pregnant, with child, and PWD’s. The priority queue will be the line number 2, to give way for passengers who are differently abled and those requiring special needs. No bus will be allowed to unload passengers in the loading station, this will constitutes violation. The loading station will have solar panel roof, metal side rail, fiber optic connection to the command center, wi-fi access, messaging boards, screen monitors for advisory and advertisements, lighting, and traffic officers.

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The solar panel roofs will supply power to the loading station with backup batteries, incase a problem will arise from the solar roof panel. The metal side rails will protect the commuters from falling off the ramp. The fiber optic connection will be used to send and receive information to the command center, this will also control the messaging board, screen monitors, and the bus stop systems. This will also allow traffic officers to communicate with the command center. The wi-fi for commuters will allow commuters to access the internet while they are waiting for the bus to arrive. Messaging boards and screen monitor advertisement The messaging board will provide all the information to the arriving bus. The information are: 1) The bus terminal where the bus is headed 2) The remaining time until the bus leaves the loading station 3) the bus schedule 4) the bus information 5) where to buy smart cards 6) the fare, 7) and other relevant information. The screen monitor advertisement will contain advertisements and announcements. The messaging board will also display the violation of overstaying and other violations the driver has committed during the transit from one station to the other. This will also inform the officer on duty if the bus is overloaded. The bus loading station will also generate income through advertisements and the government can use the announcement feature for announcements.

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Bus Dispatching Terminal The bus dispatching terminal will also have messaging boards and screen monitor advertisements, however this will not be connected through a fiber optic. Instead, the bus terminal monitoring station will be connected via Virtual Private Network (VPN). The bus terminal monitoring station will be used to monitor each bus that leaves the terminal reports and emergencies will also be received in this terminals but the information are limited. The bus operators can access their financials and other information available for them from the command center. This will also encode the driver’s smart cards and the bus information. The provincial buses where their bus terminals are in EDSA, will also have messaging boards and screen monitor advertisements and they will be connected via fiber optic. Their provincial terminal will also have messaging boards and screen monitor advertisements connected via VPN. The provincial busses will only be allowed to unload commuters in EDSA, they are not allowed to load passengers. After the provincial bus had left EDSA they can load commuters as they travel, however, they are also restricted not to overload passengers. The onboard touch sensitive monitor and the card reader will be able to identify if the bus is overloaded. The provincial busses will have the same equipment as the city busses and they are also monitored.

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Traffic Education A separate concept paper is created for Traffic Education Command Center This is the heart of the projects: 1) Smart Transport System (STS) 2) Smart Traffic Operations Procedure (STOP) 3) Traffic Education. This will control all the traffic in EDSA. This will send and receive information to all the bus, bus terminals, and bus stations. There will be two command centers in EDSA both strategically located. EDSA will be divided into two sectors and in the middle of the two sectors will be the command center. The two command centers are linked in redundant and secure fiber optic solutions. All the video feeds will be coursed through the command center. All bus stations and bus terminals will have live cameras connected to the command center. The command center will have, at its disposal, police officers, traffic officer, rapid response personnel and vehicles, ambulance, temporary first aid bunkers, temporary jail, towing vehicles, first aid and first responders’ team, ICT Team, and operated 24/7. The command center will have two redundant data centers in an undisclosed location. The officers in the bus stations and bus terminals are 24/7.

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C.

Initial Systems Bus Stop System 1. Smart Traffic Operations Procedure (STOP) – this is a separate concept paper 2. Bus System Dashboard 3. Driver System Dashboard 4. Bus and bus stations SYNC 5. Command Center 6. Reporting 7. Finance Module 8. Administration/back end E-Card System 1. Purchasing (E-Card) 2. Client Transactions (Automatic Fare System) 3. Reporting 4. Finance Module (Fare Transactions, Vendor Management) 5. Administration and back end

D.

Anticipated Outcomes 1. Ease the traffic congestion in EDSA 2. Minimize travel time of commuters 3. Faster bus dispatch 4. Safer more accurate transactions 5. Safer Travel 6. Paperless transactions 7. Bus monitoring 8. Monitor Bus driver behavior 25



9. Online reports and analytics 10. Improved collection of Tax from Bus Operators and sale of tickets 11. Revenue generation from advertisements 12. Elimination of colorum buses travelling in EDSA V.

CONTACT INFORMATION Researcher: Dr. Benjamin G. Quito Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09321082463 Email: [email protected] Researcher:5 Dr. Villamor S. Quebral Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09162465182 Email: [email protected] Researcher: Dr. Edna C. Aquino Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09175293022 Email: [email protected]

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Smart Traffic Operations Procedure: The Use of Technology in Enhancing Traffic Apprehension and Operations in EDSA

A Concept Paper

Researchers: Dr. Benjamin G. Quito Dr. Villamor S. Quebral Dr. Edna C Aquino

Rizal Technological University Graduate School Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Philippines

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ABSTRACT

This concept paper is the second part of a three-fold system for an efficient management of the traffic situation in EDSA. This paper focuses on the computerized Smart Traffic Operations System (STOS) and Traffic Operations Procedure (TOP). The paper also introduces a demerit system, the creation of EDSA Management Bureau (EMB) command centers. Henceforth, this paper shall be known as Smart Transport Operations Procedure (STOP) . The use of security microchips, Wi-Fi, Internet, QR-Codes, Command Center, Handheld devices, Smart Operations Procedures, and creation of a new office in Enhancing Traffic Apprehension and Operations in EDSA. The last and final part of the total solution of traffic problem is the institutionalization of Road Safety and Traffic Education (RoSTed) in Philippine schools and local communities which also includes professionalization of Public Utility Vehicles driver and issuance of Driver’s license. Keywords: Security Microchips, Command Center, Handheld devices, Smart Traffic Operations System (STOS), Traffic Operations Procedure (TOP)

I.

INTRODUCTION

This concept paper is part of the three approaches in easing the traffic flow in EDSA. 1) Smart Transport System, 2) Smart Traffic Operations Procedure, 3) Traffic Education. The focus of this concept paper is Smart Traffic Operations Procedure (STOP). According to the Metro Manila Development Agency (MMDA), EDSA is busiest thoroughfare in Metro Manila. EDSA is a 23.8 kilometer long road spanning from Caloocan to Pasay. The lead agency that manages the flow of traffic in is the MMDA an agency under the Office of the President and advised by Metro Manila Mayors League. MMDA is a special development and administrative region shall delineate and consider basic services affecting or involving Metropolitan Manila. The Authority shall plan, supervise, regulate, monitor, coordinate or implement policies, programs and projects where appropriate, in conformity with the national government policies without prejudice to the autonomy of metro local government units. The office in-charge of traffic in Metro Manila is the Traffic Discipline 2

Office. The Traffic Discipline Office is task to provide better management services resulting from a balanced integration of traffic education, engineering and enforcement services. On September 1, 2015 the management of the traffic flow of EDSA was transferred to the Highway Patrol Group (HPG). There are 96 personnel of HPH were deployed in six major intersection in EDSA. Their mandate is to strictly implement the 30 second rule in loading and unloading passengers at designated bus stops. According to their Director “they will teach and educate drivers to respect traffic laws”. The Highway Patrol Group (HPG) is one of the operational units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that ensures the safe and secure travel of our people especially the motorists along the country's highways and major thoroughfares.



These two government agencies were tasked to provide and implement solutions in the worsening traffic in EDSA. However, this concept paper will prove that inter-agency cooperation is needed to alleviate the traffic situation in EDSA.

II.

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

MMDA identified the following root causes of traffic in EDSA: 1. The number of vehicles is the root cause of gridlock – there is a significant increase in the number of vehicles traversing EDSA. 2. Erring motorist 3. Undisciplined drivers of buses and other public utility vehicles 4. Colorum public utility vehicles According to HPG the root cause of traffic in EDSA are the following: 1. Lack of discipline and order in the part of the motorist and commuters 2. Bad habit of bus and jeepney drivers in loading and unloading passengers at or near the major intersections 3. Colurum buses 4. Vehicles defying the number coding system 3

5. Private vehicles using bus lanes Furthermore, HPG summarizes the root cause of the traffic in three: 1. The sheer number of vehicles 2. Lack of discipline in part of motorist 3. The number of vehicular accidents EDSA was designed to hold 140,000 vehicles per day. As of September 2015 the volume of vehicle traversing EDSA has nearly doubled to approximately 260,000 per day. The government has identified six major chokepoints in EDSA namely; 1) Balintawak, 2) Cubao, 3) Ortigas, 4) Shaw, 5) Guadalupe, 6) and Taft intersections. These chokepoints are prone to congestions because buses, public utility vehicles, and sidewalk vendors occupying several lanes. In addition to that are undisciplined commuters. The government reviewed, studied, and conducted research to get into the core of the problem. The conclusion identified three approaches to the problem: 1) management and enforcement, 2) mass transit, 3) and engineering solutions. 1. Obstructions and Vehicles causing traffic in EDSA A study conducted by Yves Boquet in 2013 from her paper titled “BATTLING CONGESTION IN MANILA: THE EDSA PROBLEM”, it was mentioned that one of the cause of vehicular traffic in EDSA is the number of commercial establishments. In the paper it was described that the abundance of shopping centers, office plazas, and places of employment generates an enormous amount of traffic in EDSA. Furthermore, it was described in the paper that in terms of vehicular traffic in EDSA these are the most common problems: 1. Too many transport providers 2. Unreliable service 3. Irregular or unpredictable frequency 4. Route coverage is poor because vehicles concentrate on few corridors while neglecting other parts of the city 4

The common problems mentioned leads to: 1. Low profitability 2. Poor quality vehicles 3. Poor safety performance 4. Exaggerated pollution 5. Mediocre consideration for passengers According to Angelito Vergel De Dios in his presentation titled “MMDA’s Major Traffic and Transport Management Programs” the cause of traffic in EDSA are the following: 1. Obstructions and illegal structures along the carriageway 2. Traffic signals and road geometry 3. Public transport 4. Perception of corruption 5. Vehicular accidents and traffic safety 6. Law enforcement and motorist’s education and awareness De Dios further mentioned in an analogy that “When a pipeline is clogged, the flow is affected. When there is obstruction there is a slowdown on the flow of traffic”. He also stressed that obstruction to traffic flow should be removed like; illegal terminals, illegal vendors, illegal parking, and illegal loading, jaywalking and unloading of passengers. In contradiction to what the present MMDA Chairman Tolentino, he mentioned that “The volume of vehicle is never an issue in traffic management. What must be maintained are lanes cleared of obstacles so that motorist could pass”.

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2. Flooding as a cause of traffic On September 8, 2015 in what people call as “Carmageddon”, a very terrifying traffic had occurred in EDSA. Thousands of commuters spent hours in cars, taxi, busses, and sidewalks because of the horrendous traffic. The causes of traffic is flooding, even the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which is supposed to be the last place to be flooded, is not spared from the flood. This caused delay in both domestic and international flights. The authorities in NAIA mentioned of waist-deep flood water on the tarmac. Traffic authorities can only do so much; there are things which are beyond their control, like flooding. If an area is flooded, vehicles will stop which will result in traffic. Even though flood control measures were put in place, the volume of water is too much to handle. MMDA had point the finger on the amount of rainfall and that they have mentioned that the drainage were cleared but still due to the volume of rainfall the streets are still flooded. 3. Lack of Road Safety Education as a cause of Traffic There is no proper education in road safety in the Philippines. Road safety, traffic rules and regulations, professional courtesy in the streets and roads are not present in any 6

curriculum in our school. There is no certification for traffic enforcers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, and tri-cycle drivers imposed in the country. There is no proper training for would be drivers in the country, no proper venue for practicing driving skills, and no institutionalized method of providing driving education to the citizen. In the part of the commuters, pedestrians, street vendors, and the citizen as a whole there are no standardized way of providing Road Safety Education. Commuters alight and board vehicles practically wherever possible. Pedestrians cross the roads anywhere and anytime. Street vendors sell their goods in the road and citizens buy their goods in the road. All of these mentioned above are one the main cause of traffic in EDSA. There are efforts to curb these problems but all of them prove to be ineffective. This is proven by prevalent situation which can be observed daily along the stretch of EDSA. 4. Lack of efficient apprehension as a cause of Traffic According to HPG they have a 30 seconds rule in apprehension of violators in EDSA wherein within the specified time limit the violations were explained and corresponding violation ticket was written and given to the driver. However, in a given scenario, the driver will refuse to accept that a traffic violation was committed. The traffic enforcer will be forced to explain and there will be a heated argument which sometime leads to confrontation. There isn’t enough manpower to apprehend violators, even with combined force of HPG and MMDA. To add to the confusion MMDA has its own ticketing system, LTO has its own, and HPG has its own. Depending on the traffic enforcer, the driver will have to deal with redeeming their confiscated license which brings enormous waste of their time. The problem of corruption among traffic enforcers is “Kotong”. This is one of the realities of the streets of EDSA where a traffic violator will negotiate to avoid driver’s license confiscation in exchange of money. There were also cases of name dropping wherein a powerful man, an elected official, police officers, a certain commission officer in the military or any powerful person’s name were being used to get away from traffic violation.

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5. Road accident as a cause of Traffic There are many forms and cases of accidents happening in EDSA every day. No matter what is the cause or reasons for the accidents one thing is for sure, it will cause heavy traffic. With limited space for the vehicle along EDSA one minor accident will cause major traffic which will affect the stretch of EDSA. In a worst case scenario a burning vehicle, a fatal accident, a roadside holdup, a crime is happening or heated arguments, which turn to taking one’s life any of these, will cause traffic. Worse, life will be in danger because the response team, a firefighting unit, an ambulance, police officers or a first aid team cannot respond quickly because of the traffic. Removing the vehicle and assisting the injured will not only cause traffic but will also means loss of precious time to save a person’s life. These are the realities of life in EDSA. 6. Lack of Road Alternatives going to North and South Presently there are only two routes going to North and South and these are EDSA and C5. These two routes are equally congested and experiencing heavy traffic. Secondary roads were not considered alternatives due to the fact that only light vehicles can pass through it and in addition there are too many obstacles and turns which would hinder smooth flow of transportation. Provincial busses cannot use the secondary roads, therefore, having no choice but to use EDSA and C5. Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) coming and going all converge in EDSA, this scheme has significantly contributed to the worsening traffic in EDSA. C5 is also very congested, since this is being used also by PUV’s and to add to that C5 also cuts through EDSA. III.

PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE

Clearly there is a need to address all of the problems mentioned in this concept paper. The solution cannot be done by one government department alone. There is a need for collaboration among government agencies. There is a need to create one body or one bureau which will address the problems mentioned in this paper.

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Specifically this paper aims to provide solutions to the following: 1. The volume of vehicles which is causing the gridlock in major choke points 2. Erring motorist, commuters, pedestrians, street vendors, colorum, undisciplined drivers, and corrupt traffic enforcers 3. Obstructions and vehicles which causes traffic 4. Lack of Road Safety Education (addressed fully in a separate concept paper) 5. Lack of efficient apprehension of traffic violators 6. Lack of efficient method of managing accidents 7. Lack of efficient traffic operations procedure IV.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A.

Goals and Objectives The main goal of this concept paper is to introduce an efficient traffic operations

procedure which will effectively manage the worsening traffic situation in EDSA. This paper will support the concept paper on Smart Transport Systems in terms of managing traffic violations and apprehensions. This paper will also serve as a pilot study in improving the existing driver’s license in the country, in terms of: a) security of the information contained in the physical driver’s license b) issuance of driver’s license c) improve driver’s database d) issuance of specialized driver’s license for bus drivers, taxi drivers, jeepney drivers, tri-cycle driver, student driver, and professional drivers. To create the EDSA Management Bureau (EMB) under the DOTC. The components of the bureau are: a) Existing HPG Deployed in EDSA, b) MMDA Traffic Enforcer, c) LTFRB, d) LTO, e) DOH, f) and BIR. This bureau will directly manage all the components mentioned in this concept paper. To create the EDSA Command Centers (ECC), there will be three command centers; a) South Command Center b) North Command Center c) Central Command Center. The command centers will house the components of EMB. To create Smart Traffic Operations System (STOS), a computerized system which will manage all the EMB database, communicate with the LTO database, communicate with 9

the LTFRB database, communicate with HPG database, communicate with MMDA database, communicate with DOH database, and communicate with BIR database. STOS will also create the interface between the driver, traffic enforcers and other interfaces needed in efficient traffic management. Conduct thorough research to effectively find a solution in the existing causes of traffic woes in EDSA. The research will be done collaboratively and simultaneously with the research in Smart Transport Systems (STS). This will allow seamless integrations of the two systems in delivering solutions to the worsening traffic situation. To create Traffic Operations Procedure (TOP), this will enhance, modify, or introduce laws or traffic rules and regulations through the legislative bodies of the government to efficiently manage traffic operations primarily in EDSA and the rest of the country if possible. To install fiber optic cables, security camera, and Wi-Fi blanket throughout EDSA. This will be seamlessly integrated in the loading and unloading bus station in the Smart Transport System. To form part of the three approaches in efficiently managing the traffic in EDSA, these three parts will be the components of the ultimate goal of enhancing, modifying, and managing the transport system in the country. B.

Methodology

1. Improving the issuance, quality, and security of Driver’s License The existing driver’s license in the country is a plastic card with a laser readable barcode imprint in it. Although, there is no clear use of the barcode yet, the plastic card also contains human readable information. LTO issues a paper receipt of the driver’s license and a plastic card. More often, the purpose of the paper receipt is for the traffic enforcer to write the violations of the holder in it, and then confiscates the plastic card. Although, these are not standard in the whole country, it depends who will the traffic enforcers be. E.g., MMDA, HPG, LTO, local traffic enforcers. This process is prevalent in the rest of the country.

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This concept paper will make use of security microchips embedded in the driver’s license. This is similar to the Philippine passport, it will contain human readable information and it will also contain the information in a secured microchips. It will have the same security as the Philippine passport. The same passport reader will also be used in the driver’s license; the only difference is that the reader for the driver’s license is portable and wireless. The portable and wireless reader will be used by the traffic enforcers to read, record, and transfer information and violation to command center. The command center then updates the database of the government agency such as LTO, LTFRB, or HPG. When a traffic violator is apprehended, the traffic enforcer will inform the driver of the traffic violation and ask for the driver’s license. The traffic enforcer will read the driver’s license using the portable wireless reader and encode the violation. Since, EDSA is Wi-Fi blanketed, the information will be uploaded to the command center and update the relevant government agency. After the driver’s license was read by the machine, the traffic enforcer will return the license to the driver. The traffic enforcer will inform the license owner that he/she has 5 working days to contest the violation and apprehension in the Central Command Center and failure to contest or appear will be considered admission of the violation. There no negotiations or payment involve and the process will only take a few seconds. The information and traffic violation will be reported to the LTO database, as part of STOP, the driver who owns the license will gain demerits and upon yearly renewal of the driver’s license, the owner of the driver’s license will pay the accumulated traffic violation payment within a year. When a driver reached the threshold of the demerits or gained maximum allowable demerits per year, the driver’s license will be suspended for a year. When a driver was not able to reach the maximum allowable demerits per year, the driver will pay the demerits fine and the demerit will be reset to zero. The owner of the driver’s license will have a chance to contest the violation. The demerit system is being used in many developed countries all over the world. This has been an effective solution to curve traffic violations and encourage professional driving behavior. Part of this concept paper is institute a demerit system along with Land Transportation Office (LTO) which will be initially launched in Metro Manila and then the rest of the country. The purpose of the initial launching in Metro Manila to test the demerit system and to find out any loopholes before implementing nationwide. 11

This solution will mitigate corruption and will ensure fast apprehension which will in turn reduce traffic pertaining to traffic apprehension. This will also make sure that the drivers will behave courteously in the streets or road and follow traffic rules and regulations, otherwise, they will suffer penalty and their driver’s license revoked. There is a separate concept paper for traffic education which will explain thoroughly about the traffic rules and regulations. Moreover, the camera within EDSA will be able to monitor and record the apprehension and the micro-camera worn by the traffic enforcer will also record the apprehension in close contact. This will serve as evidence in-case the owner will contest the violation and apprehension. Failure of the traffic enforcer to activate and record the apprehension in his/her micro-camera will result to administrative offense. The driver’s license, once issued will not be replaced until such time that there is a guideline to replace the same. Lost or damage of the driver’s license will be replaced with corresponding penalty and payment. Renewal of the driver’s license can be done online and payment for violation, demerit, and renewal can also be done online. If the driver’s license was flagged as revoked and the owner still drives a motor vehicle there will be corresponding penalty as will be described by the law which will be created to support Traffic Operation Procedure. 2. EDSA Management Bureau (EMB) This will require legislation, since this is a combination and collaboration of government agencies. This bureau will remove the traffic enforcement component of MMDA and the existing officers and staff of MMDA under traffic enforcement will be transferred to EMB. This will not be lateral transfer and not all existing officer and staff will be absorbed. All existing officers and staff will be reviewed based on performance and will have to undergo training and certification under TESDA. All employees of EMB must be certified by TESDA on traffic management. All existing HPG personnel assigned in EDSA will be commissioned to serve under EMB and will receive honorarium and allowances. However, they will need to undergo 12

training and certification in traffic management. Only HPG personnel are allowed to handle weapons and they will submit to the rules, regulations, and protocols of EMB. They will be reporting to the EMB official in-charge. EMB will have its own vehicles ranging but not limited from: a) patrol cars b) patrol motorcycles c) bicycles d) drones e) research vehicles f) trucks g) buses h) and any other mode of transportation deemed necessary in the fulfillment of its mandate. EMB shall be independent from MMDA reporting directly to the DOTC secretary and will have its own annual budget. EMB shall also receive grants and donations and will employ foreign consultants and employees subject to government regulations. EMB shall have sole jurisdiction in EDSA including improvements, maintenance, infrastructure, businesses, and any other investments along EDSA. In coordination with LTO and LTFRB all violators apprehended in EDSA wherein fines and penalties involve will be remitted to EMB. However, payment for renewal, demerits, revocation of driver’s license will be remitted to LTO. Colorum vehicles, out of line, and expired franchise will be remitted to LTFRB. These are all subject to negotiations with the concerned government agency. DOH will provide manpower for emergency response team and EMB will provide honorarium and allowances. However, DOH employees which will be deployed to EMB shall undergo training and certification in traffic management along with first-aid and emergency response training and certification from DOH. BIR will collaborate in the remittance of taxes coming from businesses which will arise from Smart Transport System and any other business endeavor of EMB. 3. EDSA Command Centers (ECC) To better manage EDSA traffic jurisdiction will be divided into two: a) South EDSA b) North EDSA. There will be a command center in the middle of South EDSA and North EDSA. The Central Command Center is located not within EDSA. The two command centers in EDSA will house the traffic enforcers, officers, staff, emergency response team, and monitoring team. All the command centers will be connected via fiber optic including the 13

database warehouse which will be located in a safe and undisclosed area. All the bus terminals and bus loading/unloading stations will also be connected to the central command center via fiber optic connections except those bus terminals outside the stretch of EDSA, these bus terminals will be connected via Virtual Private Network (VPN). The two command centers in EDSA will have one command center leader each which reports to the over-all command center leader located in the central command center. All command centers will operate 24/7 which will have three shifts. The command centers will be under the jurisdiction of EMB. The command centers will have operators which monitor the traffic situation in EDSA 24/7 and each department will have a team leader. The operators will dispatch each department depending on the needs of the situation. There will be levels of severity in any given situation: 1. Severity 1 (SEV 1) – will be life and death situation or any other situation identified by EMB 2. Severity 2 (SEV 2) – will be very heavy traffic situation, criminal activity, road accidents or mishaps or any other situation identified by EMB 3. Severity 3 (SEV 3) – will be heavy traffic situation, unruly drivers, or any other situations identified by EMB 4. Severity 4 (SEV 4) – moderate traffic situation, pedestrian violations, or any other situation identified by EMB There will be daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly reporting of the level of severity which will be reported by the command centers and all this reports will be reported to the head of EMB. There will also be research vehicles fielded in EDSA to monitor real time and assess the situation. The purpose of the research is to keep abreast of what is really happening in the road to come up with realistic solutions which is applicable in the road. All the information which are not deemed classified will be available to the public through the EMB website and will be shown in the information boards in EDSA.

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4. Smart Traffic Operations System (STOS) This is a computerized traffic operations systems, this system will control the following: 1. Demerits 2. Traffic violations 3. Pedestrian violations 4. Traffic lights 5. Loading and unloading smart bus stations 6. Bus Stations dispatch (controlled by transport operators and monitored by EMB) 7. Driver’s dashboards 8. Wi-Fi in EDSA 9. Cameras in EDSA The information collected by STOS will be shared to other relevant authorities mentioned in this concept paper for proper coordination and control. The functionalities, contents, and control of STOS will be determined by the research which will be conducted in the Proof Of Concept (POC). 5. Traffic Operations Procedure (TOP) TOP will enhance, modify, or introduce laws or traffic rules and regulations through the legislative bodies of the government to efficiently manage traffic operations in EDSA will be initiated by EMB. In the Proof Of Concept (POC) the researchers will research on the root cause of the problem by immersing in EDSA. The research vehicles will gather data and pinpoint or verify the root cause of problem and come up with a solution which will be acceptable and deployable. EMB will work with the legislative bodies of the government to come up with a law on traffic rules and regulations in the country.

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D.

Anticipated Outcomes This concept paper anticipates the following outcomes: 1. Manage the number of vehicles traversing EDSA 2. Efficient apprehension of traffic violators 3. Eliminate the corruption from traffic violations 4. Efficient apprehension of pedestrians 5. Efficient monitoring of traffic, road accidents, criminal activities, and other causes of traffic in EDSA 6. Enhance road safety and curve out unruly behavior of motorist in EDSA 7. Computerized Smart Traffic Operations System (STOS) 8. Enhanced Traffic Operations Procedure (TOP) 9. Efficient management and monitoring of vehicles traversing EDSA 10. Efficient collection of fees resulting from traffic violations and pedestrian violations

V.

CONTACT INFORMATION Researcher: Dr. Benjamin G. Quito Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09321082463 Email: [email protected] Researcher: Dr. Villamor S. Quebral Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09162465182 Email: [email protected]

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Researcher: Dr. Edna C. Aquino Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09175293022 Email: [email protected]

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Road Safety and Traffic Education (RoSTed): The Institutionalization, Certification, and Standardization of Road Safety and Traffic Education in the Philippines

A Concept Paper

Researchers: Dr. Benjamin G. Quito Dr. Villamor S. Quebral Dr. Edna C Aquino

Rizal Technological University Graduate School Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Philippines

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ABSTRACT

This concept paper is the third and part of a three-fold system for an efficient management of the traffic situation in EDSA. This paper focuses on Road Safety Education, Traffic Education and dissemination of Driving Laws. This paper is also focused on the institutionalization of Road Safety and Traffic Education (RoSTed) in Philippine schools and local communities which also includes professionalization of Public Utility Vehicles driver and issuance of Driver’s license. Keywords: Road Safety Education (RSE), Traffic Education, Driving Law, Professional driver

I. INTRODUCTION This concept paper is the last part of the three approaches in easing the traffic flow in EDSA. 1) Smart Transport System, 2) Smart Traffic Operations Procedure, 3) Traffic Education. The focus of this concept paper is Traffic Education. The concept includes institutionalization of traffic education in the country by the inclusion of Road Safety Education (RSE) in the K-12 program. Since there is a proposal from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to raise the minimum age of the citizen who will be driving from 16 years old to 17 years old, it is timely to include driving skills in the K-12 program in the grade 11-12. RSE can be taught to students as early as Kindergarten to Grade 3 as part of the curriculum. This will teach our students on how to become a responsible citizen in terms of following road safety procedures and will produce responsible driver. TESDA will provide National Certification 1 (NC1) for: a) traffic enforcer b) bus driver c) taxi driver d) tri-cycle driver. The purpose of the certification is to professionalize the profession of providing services for the commuters. This will also make sure that the drivers of utility vehicles are professional and properly educated in the rules and regulations of driving their vehicles. In return, this will produce drivers’ proper ethical behavior in the use of the roads which will help in minimizing traffic congestion by adhering properly in the traffic rules and regulation. 2

Standardization of the Philippine Driver’s License will be put in effect to make sure that all those who will be driving the streets and roads of the Philippines are well educated in road safety, traffic rules and regulations, and adhering to professional courtesy in driving. The LTO will professionalize the driving of vehicles by deputizing schools and training centers to conduct Road Safety Education for the “would be” drivers. This will be a mandatory training before taking the practical driving examination. This will speed up the issuance of a driver’s license by removing the lecture before the actual driving test. The written examination before the practical driving examination will still be part of the process. In this way there will be no drivers in the streets and roads of the Philippines who will operate vehicles who are not aware of the rules and regulations of traffic. Traffic Education will make use of Quad-Media in educating the public regarding traffic education in EDSA. Quad-Media is the use of TV, Radio, Print, and Internet to disseminate information to the public. Traffic Education will also be included as part of RSE and will be taught in the K-12 program of DepEd, this will also include TESDA and CHED. This will ensure that the citizens going to EDSA will be aware of the rules and regulation being implemented, as the law states that “Ignorancia Legis Neminem Excusat” or ignorance of the law excuses no one.

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

To give an understanding of the whole picture of this concept paper we must first try to understand who the two major users of EDSA are. The two major users of EDSA are the Drivers and the Pedestrians. This paper focuses on the two major users; both must learn Road Safety Education and Traffic Education in order to harmonize the efficient use of EDSA.

1. Lack of understanding of Driver’s and Pedestrian’s Obligation on the Road

Carl Wais gave an explanation of the Driver’s and Pedestrians obligation on the road in his article “Highway Traffic Offences”. This states that everyday news of road accidents 3

involving cars and pedestrians are prevalent. However, many of us are not aware of the responsibilities of the driver and the pedestrian. When a driver hit a pedestrian, the court holds the driver responsible and it is up to the driver to prove his innocence. Which brings us to the question as to where do drivers and pedestrians stand in relation to each other? When an accident does takes place between a pedestrian and a motor vehicle that has the greater responsibility? How should we see who is at fault, is it the driver or the pedestrian? What accounts of actions must be considered to see who is accountable? These are some basic questions that the driver and pedestrians must be made aware of, if one is aware of the consequences of its action one will be carefully not to trample into anyone’s right on the road. For example, does a pedestrian know the General Pedestrian Rules? Do we even have one? Is it institutionalized? Are the pedestrians aware of it? Where was it taught? Who teaches it? Does a driver know about the Driver Obligations and Pedestrians right of way? Or the does the Driver know the Motorist duty of care? We must face the fact that there is no formal way to teach drivers and pedestrians regarding the rules and regulations, the actions that one must do and what are the responsibilities.

2. Lack of Awareness of the Driving Laws in the Philippines

Not all drivers are aware of the driving laws in the Philippines, presently, a driver driving a Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) only need a professional driver’s license to provide service on the road. Do they have formal training? Are they aware of the driving laws? Do they know about the obligations of a driver? The answer to the questions is a resounding “No” not most of them only a handful few who have taken formal driving lessons, but the reality is that not all driving schools provide these lessons as well. Are drivers aware of the “Right of Way”? Do they know who has the right of way in a given situation? Are they aware of the proper use of headlights? Are they aware of all the traffic 4

signs? Do we have a unified traffic signs all-over the Philippines? Or we have traffic signs but differ in one place.

3. Lack of Formal Training for Drivers and Pedestrians

There are many driving institutions or driving schools existing today, however, there is no formal curriculum for driving instructions, there may be some regulations in establishing driving schools in the country but there are no certified content and materials which will be used in all driving schools. Moreover, the citizens will have to pay a hefty tuition fee to enroll in such driving schools. Therefore, those who can afford are the only ones undergoing formal training in driving. Most of the drivers, if not all, thriving in EDSA and the rest of the country perhaps, rely on non-formal driving lessons. Non-formal driving lessons are those drivers who learn how to drive vehicles on their own or guided by their friends or families. More often than not, those who teach driving lessons to others did not go to a formal driving lesson. There is no law or a guideline which states that there should be institutionalized driving lessons in the country. For all we know “little knowledge is dangerous” literally and figuratively.

III.

PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT The purpose of this concept paper is to address the problems mentioned above and to

support the other two approaches of the total solutions in alleviating the traffic problem in EDSA. There may be several ways to solve the existing problem in EDSA, however, some of them are very expensive and will require heavy construction of infrastructure. Some are unachievable in the present situation of the country, while others are good in papers but lacks potential in the real world scenario.

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To address the Road Safety and Traffic Education, this concept paper proposes the following: 1. Include Road Safety and Traffic Education in the K-12 Education program of the government. As early as Kindergarten Road Safety Education or RSE should be taught to the students. This will create safety education among young children so that when they grow up they will always remember what they are taught. It should be taught from Kindergarten to Grade 10 to make sure that the students will always remember safety on the road. In grades 11-12, Traffic Education should be taught to the students, these are the age wherein they will be able to secure Driver’s License and will be able to drive a motorized vehicle. With their background in Road Safety and additional traffic education, these new breed of drivers will have understanding on the driver’s and pedestrians right on the road. Driving laws should be taught to the students as well from Grade 5-10 this is the age wherein students will be able to comprehend the law and in Grades 11-12 they may be able to have an NC1 in driving. 2. TESDA should create certification for drivers in the following category: a. Common Drivers - these are the drivers who will not provide services to the public in terms of driving a Public Utility Vehicle or will not use driving as a source of income. This will follow the existing driving lessons for regular drivers of any vehicles not intended for commercial purposes. b. Professional Truck Drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a truck, depending on what kind of truck, which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and driver’s rights and obligation on the road. There will be a specialized category on this as well depending on what kind of truck will the person be driving. c. Professional Bus Drivers – this certification will show skills in driving a bus which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and driver’s rights and obligation on the road.

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d. Professional Taxi Drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a taxi which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and driver’s rights and obligation on the road. e. Professional Jeepney Drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a jeepney which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and driver’s rights and obligation on the road. f. Professional Tri-cycle Drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a tri-cycle which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and driver’s rights and obligation on the road. g. Motorcycle drivers - this certification will show skills in driving a motorcycle which will include the knowledge in the driving laws, pedestrian rights and obligation on the road, and drivers rights and obligation on the road TESDA can authorize schools and other training institutions to offer the abovementioned driver’s category. This will ensure professionalized services of the driver in their particular certification. 3. LTO should also provide specialized drivers permit to those professional drivers mentioned above. This will ensure proper road safety and traffic education among the motorist. This will be on top of the regular driver’s license they issue. Thus, this will eliminate “Professional Driver’s License” from LTO. The specialized driver’s permit will replace this. All professional drivers using EDSA will have these specialized driving permits. LTO can follow the same category they used but will incorporate training from TESDA. This means that before issuing a Driving permit, a person must have certification from TESDA first and depending on the TESDA certification LTO will provide the driver’s permit.

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IV.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A.

Goals and Objectives The goal of this concept paper is to professionalize the driving services provided by the drivers a Public Utility Vehicle and to create an institutionalized driving schools or training center in the country. This will ensure that all those who will be using EDSA, drivers or pedestrians, are well aware of their rights and obligations. The objective of this concept paper is to: 1. Create a certification for the different classifications of drivers who will be driving motor vehicles 2. Teach the students on road safety and traffic education 3. Ensure that only certified drivers will be using EDSA to encourage proper behavior on the road 4. To properly identify motorist using motorized vehicles in EDSA 5. Professionalized the driving experience and services 6. Alleviate the traffic problem in EDSA through proper driver and pedestrian education

B.

Methodology Create a task force which will establish a curriculum for K-12 education, identify skills needed for TESDA to create a certification for professional drivers, and establish competency standards for professional driver’s permit for LTO. The task force will compose of curriculum developers from DepEd, specialist from TESDA, and traffic educators from LTO. The task force will create the needed curriculum, competency standards, and design-content of professional driver’s license for LTO. The task force will coordinate 8



with the researchers who will conduct Proof Of Concept in the first part of the three approaches in this total solution for alleviating the traffic situation in EDSA. DepED will identify areas in the curriculum where RSE can be integrated from Kindergarten to Grade 10. They will also identify which area in Grade 11-12 where Traffic Education can be integrated. DepEd will also identify in which area in the curriculum for Grade 5-10 where Driving laws can be integrated. DepEd will work with TESDA and LTO to develop the curriculum. TESDA will develop competency standards and training content and materials for each category of professional drivers. They will act as the regulating body for would be training centers for professional drivers and those common drivers. TESDA will work with LTO in developing the competency standards since this will also be the basis for issuing professional driver’s license. LTO will work with TESDA to develop the criteria for each category of professional drivers permit and license. The two government agency will develop an actual driving test to measure competency of the applicant for driver’s license and permits. LTO will create guideline on the issuance of drivers permit and license which requires each applicant to secure an NC1 from any TESDA accredited training centers before a driver’s permit or licensed is issued. This will ensure that all drivers will have the necessary competency, skills, and values before driving the roads of EDSA or any roads in the country. The use of Quad-media will ensure that the public is also well aware of RSE, Traffic Education and Driving Laws by producing public information videos, leaflets, brochures, and materials. These will also make sure that visitors in the country are aware of the existing rules and regulations of LTO and EDSA Management Bureau (EMB). All of these videos and information will be displayed and shown along EDSA and the Smart Loading/Unloading bus stations along EDSA; this will also include the Bus Terminals.

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D.

Anticipated Outcomes It is anticipated that all drivers in the country will be well educated in terms of Road

Safety Education, Traffic Education, and Driving Laws. It is also anticipated that all pedestrians will have an understanding of RSE and will know their rights and obligations in using the roads of EDSA and the rest of the country. Specifically this concept paper will help produce the following outcomes: 1. Reduce the number of road accidents in EDSA and the rest of the country 2. Institutionalized RSE, Traffic Education and information dissemination of Driving Laws 3. Create professional driver’s permit and license 4. Speed up the acquisition and release of driver’s license and permit of LTO 5. Support the other 2 approaches in the total solution of traffic problem in EDSA 6. Create certification and professionalization of drivers driving PUV and other vehicles used for personal or business endeavor 7. Create professional drivers using the road of EDSA and the rest of the country

V.

CONTACT INFORMATION Researcher: Dr. Benjamin G. Quito Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09321082463 Email: [email protected]

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Researcher: Dr. Villamor S. Quebral Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09162465182 Email: [email protected] Researcher: Dr. Edna C. Aquino Rizal Technological University Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City Tel. No. (02) 570-8055 Mobile: 09175293022 Email: [email protected]

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