DAVAO CITY, Philippines — On a humid Monday morning, call center agent Ardin Bitad, sinks into the decrepit jeepney seat looking forward to her bed after a long graveyard shift. But sleep had to wait, as she had to navigate to Davao’s daily misery, the heavy traffic.
Ardin is one of the thousands of Davaoeños whose daily lives have become entangled in what experts call a full-fledged commuter crisis. Once hailed for its simple but organized, in other words criminal free-vibe, Davao City now grapples with worsening traffic, outdated transport systems, compounded with a dearth of commuter-friendly policies.
According to the 2024 TomTom Traffic Index, Davao City ranks 8th globally in traffic congested cities. These statistics stunned many, even those used to Manila’s gridlock. In 2024, driving just 10 kilometers through the city’s congested streets took an average of 28 minutes and 17 seconds, slightly lower to last year’s 28 minutes and 40 seconds.
Davao City’s congestion level of 49% reportedly made it the third most congested city in the world in 2024, just behind Mexico City with 52% and Bangkok with 50%.
The TomTom Traffic Index is a comprehensive analysis that ranks over 500 cities worldwide based on average travel times and congestion levels, helping to provide insights for drivers, city planners, and policymakers. It uses data from various sources to assess traffic conditions and improve urban mobility.
On paper, Davao City’s traffic statistics look like progress. But in reality, it’s a four-and-a-half-day sacrifice, 107 hours a year lost to traffic jams, mostly during morning and evening rush hours, as workers inch their way to jobs, schools, and commitments. That’s nearly a week of life spent stuck behind the wheel or cramped inside a jeepney, staring at the same red taillights day after day.
“Whenever I go home passing the Bankerohan and Matina area, I see many students same as mine from different schools waiting for a long time just to step a chance for any vacant seats; when the Jeep stops, all of them are rushing in, and it’s a hard struggle knowing that you are doing it every day.” Jervy, a student at the University of Mindanao, travels from Bolton to Juna in Matina daily. For the average Davaoeño, traffic isn’t just a delay. It’s a daily grind that steals time, drains energy, and dims the joy of coming home.
Several choke points have become infamous in local conversations: Matina Crossing, Quimpo Boulevard, Bajada, and Milan, Buhangin – areas where bottlenecks are routine and patience runs thin. Experts point to a toxic mix of rapid urbanization, poor road planning, weak traffic enforcement, and an outdated public transportation system. Add to that the regular road projects in places like Cabantian and Tibungco, and what you get is a recipe for daily frustration.
Antiquated jeeps
Davao’s current mass transport system leans heavily on an aging fleet of jeepneys, multicabs, tricycles, and an ever-growing number of private vehicles. With no operational train lines or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, commuters are left with limited options and worsening conditions.
The roads, already narrow and overburdened, aren’t just jammed with moving traffic; they’re often choked by vehicles illegally parked along the sides, shrinking precious space and slowing everyone down.
Seen to solve Davao’s traffic problem, the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP)—the Davao Bus Project, formerly called the High Priority Bus System (HPBS)—aims to build a 672-kilometer bus route system under the auspices of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
The project includes the introduction of modern buses, improved terminals, and a more efficient route system, highlighting and promising a more reliable, safer, and organized alternative to the chaos of today’s commute.
But for now, as drills echo and terminals are drawn on blueprints, Davaoeños continue to wait—for buses, solutions, and a ride home that doesn’t feel like a test.
Phasing out old drivers
Many like Aristeo Magpusao, a jeepney driver plying Route 10-B that runs around Claveria, Bajada, Cabaguio and Boulevard, lamented Davao’s traffic is undeniably the worst.
But he’s facing even graver problems, worse than traffic. The city is planning to hire younger drivers, triggering his worst fears. “We, who are already older, might not get hired anymore. Their target now is the younger ones,” Magpusao said Davao Today.
He added, “(T)hey say they’ll modernize. But where do drivers like me go? I’ve been driving for my family for over a decade. If they remove us from the roads, what can I bring to the table, how about the welfare of my family?” He added.
Jeepney drivers and operators have expressed similar fears, citing livelihood loss and lack of consultation as major issues with the modernization plan. While long-term projects are in motion, no short-term relief seems coming.
Traffic lights are still unstable. Enforcement remains limited. The “solutions” often come in the form of social media announcements warning people to “leave early.” Moreover, some private offices and schools have resorted to flexible time schedules or hybrid work setups.
Enduring the grind
But for government employees, frontliners, and students? They just have to endure it.
Krystel Jay, whose kids are studying in the public school Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Elementary School, wakes herself early and her sons at 4:30 a.m. to avoid the 7:00 a.m. rush.
“We have no choice but to get up early to avoid being stuck in the traffic, it’s very hard especially for us who have other priorities,” Jay laments.
She adds, “Mao lage, kapoy kaayo mas daghan pa mig oras magbyahe kaysa sa among pamilya (Exactly, it’s so tiring. We spend more time commuting than we do with our own families).” (davaotoday.com)
davao city, traffic
