2017 Volume 53 Issue Supplement2 Pages S524-S527
Metro Manila has the worst traffic situation in the world, according to the GPS-based application Waze. Moreover, three out of ten Filipinos say that commuting is the worst part of their day, citing traffic congestion and crowded transportation as their top reasons. One of the solutions introduced by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to decongest traffic congestion is the point-to-point (P2P) bus service. Using the P2P bus allows shorter travel time due to fixed schedule of departure and absence of intermediate stops between two terminals. The service claims a more convenient travel with enhanced passenger experience to attract private-vehicle owners to use public transportation. Although travel time is shortened, average commute time of P2P buses still takes up to two hours. Sitting for a long period of time has an adverse effect in the health. Hence, there is a need to evaluate whether P2P bus seats fit the Filipino anthropometry and assess if these buses conform to standards of environmental conditions as they were manufactured in other countries. The ergonomic evaluation of P2P buses was conducted through quantitative and qualitative assessments: (1) measuring bus seat dimensions and comparing them with the corresponding adult Filipino anthropometric measurements, and (2) measuring environmental factors: temperature, illumination, and sound level and comparing them with standards (3) conducting surveys among passengers regarding their personal experience and preference of P2P buses. The P2P Bus service operators currently utilize a total of eleven (11) bus models; all of which were evaluated in the study. None of the bus models completely conform to all of the critical Filipino anthropometric measurements. Only four buses have collected illumination level within the acceptable values of greater than 107.6 lux. The collected mean sound levels on all buses conform to the standards of less than 100 to 110 dB. Seven (7) out of the eleven (11) buses, have temperatures that conform to the allowable range of 19 ⁰C to 26 ⁰C. A total of two hundred nine (209) P2P bus passengers, 19 samples for each of the 11 buses, were asked to participate in the survey. Results of the survey were consistent with the quantitative assessment; non-conformance to anthropometric measurements was reflected on the problems identified by the passengers. One hundred thirteen (113) out of the 209 passengers said that they are fully satisfied with the overall comfort of the buses. Overall rating of the bus models revealed that only three (3) bus designs were rated ‘good'. This shows that the buses currently being used have much to improve. This study can be used by bus manufacturers to improve design for buses and provide bus operators significant guidance in ensuring the P2P system's safety, comfort, and convenience that Filipino commuters deserve.
