While a research project alone won’t immediately solve the public transport problem that’s been plaguing Metro Manila for decades, the partnership between the Ateneo School of Government (ASG), the MMDA and the Rockefeller Foundation promises to improve mobility in the Philippine megalopolis.
Called “New Mobility” by ASG Dean Antonio La Viña, the project aims to provide commuters with a more “seamless” mobility experience “where the individual commuter can get from home to work (and back again), or anywhere in the city, in a fair amount of time, almost door-to-door, using many inter-connected options with a minimum of hassle.
“The technology of this future already exists today, thanks to the innovative drive of cities similar to Metro Manila,” La Viña continues in his newspaper column.
He cites as examples platforms such as the United States' Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), the car-sharing initiative known as Zipcar, and the myriad bike-sharing programs in different cities around the world.