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Friday, March 29, 2024

Shell’s Future Festival highlights alternative mobility solutions

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Cycling, electric vehicles, and multi-modal transportation are alternative modes of urban movement that can improve and enhance mobility as the economy slowly reopens.

Careful planning and restructuring of road-related infrastructure must also be considered to prevent the return of pre-pandemic traffic congestion according to key stakeholders during the recently held Future Festival, a 4-part series launched by the Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC) that tackles pillars critical to the nation’s progress.

“Mobility is not just about transportation. It is enabling efficient transactions to make needed products and quality services easily accessible and readily available to everyone on the move, whether it’s traffic, urbanization, the need for safer roads and public transportation, or the long-standing effects of the pandemic—we need many solutions, not just one,” said PSPC Vice President and General Manager for Mobility Randy Del Valle.

During Future Festival’s first episode, industry leaders focused on the challenges of mobility such as insufficient access to public transportation, weak infrastructure, and outdated policies. They also looked into urban planning, sustainability, and innovative solutions that are anchored on efficiency, public safety, thoughtful planning, and collaboration.  

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One example is the rapid rise in the use of bicycles as people leaned on active transportation for personal mobility amid the pandemic.

As one of the first institutions to recognize this trend, PSPC launched its “Site of the Future” in Silang, Cavite which has a dedicated area for cyclists where they could rest and refresh themselves while having their bikes checked.  

Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark Steven Pastor, an advocate for active transportation, said the government is looking to extend the country’s pre-existing 500-km bike lane networks in metropolitan cities “with the goal of increasing accessibility to key activity areas and fundamental facilities, significantly reducing carbon emission as well as promoting road safety.”

The DOTr is also exploring mobility improvement for conventional vehicles through delegated bus lanes.

Pastor described the Public Utility Vehicle Movement (PUVM) project as a “transformational, large-scale initiative of this administration that is structured, modern, well-managed, and environmentally sustainable. Drivers have stable, sufficient, and dignified livelihoods, while commuters get to their destinations safely and comfortably.”

The Department of Tourism, for its part, said green lanes have been put in place as travel restrictions are slowly being relaxed.

NCR Regional Director Woodrow Maquiling Jr. said this initiative will lead to “spurring business activity and providing job opportunities, while ensuring safety against the further spread of COVID-19.”

Kevin Punzalan, Senior Policy Officer of the Embassy of The Netherlands in the Philippines, shared some of the best practices of the Dutch who have pioneered some of the most “cyclable” cities in the world. “Cycling cities are better designed for people, make transportation accessible and affordable, and create a healthier and safer city,” he said, adding that more government funding and policies are needed to ensure the safety and efficient mobility of cyclists and pedestrians.

Keisha Mayuga, Move As One’s Safe Cycling and Walking Agenda Transport Lead, added: “The top three hindrances preventing people from taking on active transportation are the lack of bike lanes, bike parking, and post-trip facilities in their destinations.”

Jun Palafox Jr., founder of Palafox Associates, lamented that the country’s urban planning initiatives on mobility “are a hundred years behind.”

“The urban planning [in the country] is always looking into the supply and demand of traffic. EDSA, for example, is functioning like eight roads: major artery, minor artery, access roads and so on. That’s why the traffic [is congested],” he said.

Bill Luz, chairman of Liveable Cities Challenge Philippines, said it is not too late to innovate, especially for the 149 cities across the country.

“There is enough time and opportunities for improvement,” he said, sharing his vision of 15-minute cities where everything can be accessed within a quarter of an hour through any mode of transportation. “This will entail not only moving people from point A to point B but also goods, products, and services to improve the economy.”

Sustainability through technology and participation in the national energy transition are essential as the country moves forward, and Pastor noted that the PUVM can pave the way for electric vehicles as public transport.

As the country’s partner in mobility, PSPC has been leading in powering these vehicles of the future through effective charging stations.

“We are ready. Shell has been doing this globally. We have the capabilities and expertise,” Del Valle said. 

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