Concerns Mount Over Davao City’s Proposed Traffic Scheme
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 2 September) — A proposed traffic regulation aimed at alleviating congestion and easing vehicular flow may inadvertently exacerbate air pollution levels in the city, warns a leading environmentalist. Heavy traffic in Davao City. MindaNews file photo
In a recent dialogue with MindaNews, Mark Samante, interim director of Ecoteneo, expressed skepticism about the vehicle coding initiative championed by a local councilor, suggesting it could paradoxically incentivize increased car ownership.
During the City Council’s session on August 26, Councilor Jose Marie Bernardo R. Baluran proposed a Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP), introducing a coding scheme akin to that implemented in Metro Manila.
Baluran holds the position of chairperson for the City Council’s committee on transportation and communications.
However, Samante articulated that the proposal might detrimentally affect public health within the city. He noted, “While legislators aim to restrict the number of vehicles on the roads, the underlying financial capability of individuals will lead to increased purchases, subsequently raising the vehicle count in accordance with the coding days.”
He elaborated, “Even though the scheme limits vehicles from operating on specific days, the overall pollution levels are likely to surge, as it simply alters the volume of traffic temporarily.”
A study conducted by the Asian Transport Observatory in January 2025 indicates that vehicle emissions per Davao City resident in 2017 totaled 292 kilograms annually. Furthermore, the report attributes approximately 232,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions to public utility vehicles in the city each year.
The 2023 Davao City Airshed Status Report released by the Environment Management Bureau – Region XI corroborates this alarming trend, revealing that carbon monoxide constitutes the city’s predominant pollutant, with an annual release of 119,343.21 tons.
The report ranks other pollutants as follows: volatile organic compounds at 56,216.20 tons, sulfur oxides at 28,318.65 tons, particulate matter at 26,098.50 tons, and nitrogen oxides at 13,074.69 tons each year.
Samante emphasized that the anticipated escalation in vehicle quantity resulting from the proposed coding scheme would further intensify the city’s air contamination issues. He argues for a paradigm shift, advocating investments in a robust public transport infrastructure as the most efficacious strategy to curtail vehicular emissions.
He pointed out that a single bus transporting 49 passengers can supplant numerous individual vehicles, significantly diminishing the overall number of cars on the roads and, by extension, the pollutants they emit.
Samante welcomed the city government’s initiative to introduce 10 modern, 12-meter Yutong low-floor buses by this month or by October 2025. He anticipates that this development will alleviate commuter waiting times during peak periods.
This pilot deployment of interim buses is poised to serve as a crucial evaluative measure for the sustainability of the broader ₱73.4-billion Davao Bus Project, slated for implementation by 2027, as disclosed by the Department of Transportation.
This ambitious bus scheme aligns with Davao City’s objective of diminishing public transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent annually. In light of this, Samante urged local authorities to dedicate additional resources towards comprehensive traffic studies and the creation of sustainable public transport systems that address the root causes of the ongoing problems.
Moreover, he implored citizens to assume responsibility by minimizing the number of household vehicles, optimizing their usage, and embracing carpooling initiatives to effectively mitigate emissions.
Source link: Mindanews.com.
