Transportation Science

"A scientific study on Cebu City traffic will guide city planners on how to effectively solve the congestion in the Banilad-Talamban (BanTal) corridor," reported a local newspaper. Then it says, "As things are, traffic schemes are being carried out without data and statistics." Hmmm …, that's strange … This prompted an FB friend, Ramon Sevilla to ask, "none of the previous studies in the past were scientific?" … "Did they involve witch doctors or fortune tellers? … people with crystal balls, or special tea leaves?" Probably not.

But the question begs to be answered - what do we exactly mean by a need for a "scientific study on Cebu City traffic?" I find it strange, because as far as I know, CITOM board discussions were based on data and statistics. Unless they have changed the working policy now. Is it true? - that traffic schemes are being carried out now without data and statistics? That's one sure-fire formula for disaster. Thomas Edison might be a model for perseverance but we should not emulate him and try 1,000 schemes just to find the correct one.

And what kind of scientific study do we exactly mean? One encompassing technical study covering the entire city? If that's the intention, I suggest we better expand it to cover the entire Metro Cebu because a citywide one won't work - traffic crosses political boundaries. A limited study covering only one corridor (BanTal, for example)? That would be a good one, although it raises another question, which is the same as Ramon's, "you mean the previous BanTal schemes were devoid of any bases?" But be that as it may, studies should be made.

Or is it simply scientific studies for any other local schemes that CITOM regularly implements, road by road, intersection by intersection? This won't require a separate "integrated" study that we outsource to consultants or experts. These are done in-house, and if anybody says CITOM does not have this capability, I beg to disagree. There are technical people in CITOM who know Transportation Science, were properly trained in the scientific knowledge of transport, and unless policies were changed, they continue to collect transport and traffic data and statistics. They're capable of offering solutions, too, including recommendations for more comprehensive studies by outside experts, if ever necessary. The next questions are, "Did we ask them?" "Are they still there?"

The one good thing that came out in that city council executive session is the realization that a "scientific study" is needed. Whether everybody agreed to this is another story but at least, Mr. Bunny Pages acknowledged that "experts' opinions are needed to effectively address the heavy flow of traffic in BanTal," according to the news report. Apparently, the group agreed (I hope) that transportation (and traffic) is a science after all. If it is not, why would Dr. Primitivo Cal and his esteemed colleagues even establish the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines (TSSP), 22 years ago, in 1993. Certainly not for social fellowship!