MANILA - Majority of Filipinos want bicycles, pedestrians and public transportation to be prioritized over private vehicles, according to a Social Weather Stations survey in November last year commissioned by the health department.

Of 1,500 Filipino adult respondents, 87 percent said they agree that roads "will be better off if public transportation, bicycles, and pedestrians are given priority over private vehicles."

Some 7 percent were undecided and 6 percent disagreed to the statement, results of the SWS survey released last Friday showed.

The sentiment was highest in the Visayas with a "very strong" net agreement of +88, followed by Metro Manila (+85), Mindanao (+80), and Balance Luzon (+78).

It was slightly higher in urban areas at +85, than in rural areas at +78, according to the survey.

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The study also found that 85 percent of the respondents believe it was possible for their city or town to "become a great place for walking and cycling."

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Some 7 percent were undecided, while 8 percent disagreed with the statement.

The prevailing opinion was highest in the Visayas (+85), followed by Balance Luzon (+82), Metro Manila (+75) and Mindanao (+62).

It does not vary in urban and rural areas, with a net agreement of +78 and +76, respectively.

The poll, conducted from November 21 to 25, used face-to-face interviews and has a sampling error margin of ±2.5 percent for national percentages.

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