In 1969, SC complained re: "worse” traffic congestion

Obviously, the High Court was not (and is still not) capable of looking into the future. In 2016 alone, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) reported a whopping number of 9,251,565 motor vehicles registered. This figure reflects only a one-year (twelve-month) period. Just imagine 10,000,000 new registrations every year.

THE SUPREME COURT IN 1969: Very little need be added to show that neither do bus passengers have a vested right to be transported directly into the City of Manila. It would suffice if a statement be here made that the alleged right of bus passengers, to a great extent, is dependent upon the manner public services are allowed to operate within a given area. Because, regulations imposed upon public services directly affect the bus passengers. It is quite obvious that if buses were allowed to load or unload solely at specific or designated places, a passenger cannot legally demand or insist that the operator load or unload him at a place other than those specified or designated.
It is no argument to support the vested rights theory that petitioning passengers have enjoyed the privilege of having been continuously transported even before the outbreak of the war directly without transfer from the provinces to places inside Manila up to the respective bus terminals in said City. Times have changed. Vehicles have increased in number. Traffic congestion has moved from bad to worse, from tolerable to critical. The number of people who use the thoroughfares has multiplied. (G.R. No. L-22545; November 28, 1969)

According to Aquino and Hernando (2016), in 1903, the first automobile was introduced into the Philippines from France. Ten (10) years later, there were already 2,556 registered motor vehicles in the whole country. Another decade later, the number rose to 13,000.

TRIVIA: The (LTO) back then was called the Traffic Control Bureau (TCB).

SOURCES:

[1] http://www.lto.gov.ph/transparency-seal/annual-reports/file/138-annual-report-2016.html

[2] Aquino and Hernando (2016); Essentials of Transportation and Public Utilities Law; Rex Book Store
[3] https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CMKsWozbufs/maxresdefault.jpg