Surviving “Car-diac Arrest”: Towards Roads Where Many Modes Fit

Abstract

The car dominates the imaginary of urban modernity. Such modernity links the car to living the good life, especially for the growing middle class. However, an environmentalist in my research laments that the unprecedented increase in car volume causes a “car-diac arrest” in our cities. A regime of congestion ensues as cars clog our cities' major arteries. This is the daily experience in Metro Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Although only 12% of the metropolis' population owns a car, millions of Filipinos suffer the collective loss of mobility. It has dangerous urban spaces characterised by intolerance to other modes of transport. Furthermore, as more cars are added to Manila's roads, state infrastructure projects and policies tend more to car-centric mobility. It compromises walkability, worsens air pollution, and takes many lives due to road traffic crashes each year. But transport reform advocates are taking action for Metro Manila to survive its “car-diac arrest.” Through interviews with representatives of government transport agencies, the private sector, and civil society organisations, as well as through participant observation on these groups' activities and exploring around Metro Manila, I attempted to locate pockets of hope beyond the car-centric system. Through pushing for policy reforms, road-sharing initiatives, and partnerships with supportive allies in the government and other sectors of society (called “champions”), the research participants shared visions and engagements for a sustainable transport system. While they do not see themselves as “anti-car,” they campaign for mobility to prioritise moving people and not just cars. Their ongoing initiatives push for the realisation of “dignified commuting” through a safe, efficient, and reliable public transport system and for active transport (i.e., walking and cycling) to thrive. Through the co-existence of these diverse modes of transport, they reimagine roads as spaces where many modes fit.