Uber offers traffic tech apps to gov’t

Ridesharing giant Uber is opening up one of its technology solutions to the government to help in determining the traffic impact and benefits of the massive land infrastructure projects in the pipeline.

Uber said it had made available data from its platform dubbed Movement to the Department of Public Works and Highways. Among its earliest recommendations was to support the proposed extension of San Miguel Corp.’s Naia Expressway (NAIAx) project to Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

“Movement uses the power of big data to help government officials and planners understand the impact to travel times of the infrastructure projects and programs they roll out,” Uber Philippines general manager Laurence Cua said in a statement.

The solution uses data from thousands of trips both months before and after NAIAx was opened in June last year. Uber said the expressway shortened average travel times in and around the areas it serves.

Based on Uber’s estimates, Cua said the NAIAx extension would cut travel time between BGC and NAIAx in Entertainment City or the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) complex to about 20 minutes from 40 minutes.

Cu said the Movement platform could also help government planners determine improvements in travel times once the BGC-Ortigas Center link, the proposed bridge between Binondo and Intramuros and the Skyway Stage 3 were completed.

SMC, a food and drinks giant that has diversified into infrastructure, earlier revealed that complete detailed engineering plans for the extension of the 7.7-kilometer NAIAx project going to BGC have been submitted to the government.

SMC said the project would decongest Magallanes and the Edsa-Pasay area. The NAIAx extension also aims to cut travel time between Coastal Road and SM Mall of Asia areas and BGC to just 10 minutes.

The NAIAx, a private-public partnership project that SMC opened last year, is a key part of Metro Manila’s tollroad network. Serving some 80,000 vehicles per day, it provides access to all terminals of Naia from Skyway, Cavite Exprsessway and other major roads with its 14 on and off ramps.—MIGUEL R.CAMUS