Considerations in the diffusion of a public traffic app for Metro Manila

• Rising smartphone ownership and road congestion drive traffic app usage.
• The Philippine capital of Manila has introduced a publicly developed traffic app.
• This project’s genesis is described.
• Early findings from the introduction of this app are provided.
• Implications for other traffic authorities based on these findings are offered.

The proliferation of apps enabling motorists to access traffic information on the move introduces several intriguing possibilities for transportation authorities. In the expectation that public demand for these apps will increase as both road traffic and smartphone ownership rise, these tools invite consideration alongside other traffic management tools. Traffic app-specific considerations include increased motorist interactivity, consumer technology diffusion, and institutional factors affecting the rollout of e-government initiatives. This article uses the introduction of the MMDA Traffic Navigator—a Manila-based, publicly developed traffic app—to illustrate these considerations. Additionally, app usage among residents of nearby cities constituting Manila’s extended metropolitan region is considered. These considerations are subsequently classified using a 4E framework under economy, effectiveness, efficiency, and equity to inform other authorities’ efforts to either incorporate traffic apps into overall transport planning or even take the initiative in developing them.