TACLOBAN CITY—Lack of political will of previous administrations caused all plans to modernize the public-transport system to fail, a transportation official said.
Speaking at the launch of the initial implementation of public-utility vehicle (PUV)modernization program, Department of Transportation Assistant Director Mark Richmond de Leon said the government has to meet opposition to the program “head on.” He represented Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, who had other commitments.
“This is a program we cannot give up on,”de Leon said. “Our problem in the public transport system is huge. During the past administration, when drivers strike, there was no public-transport modernization program. The problem is all over the country, and we chose to tackle the problem head on.”
De Leon spoke at the launch last Tuesday in this city. In attendance were Assistant Secretary Anthony Gerald Gonzales of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas and chairman Martin Delgra of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
“Implementing the modernization of a public-transport system is not easy. Many past administrations have attempted, but never got to first base,” de Leon said. “We are talking of a large-scale transformation of the public-transport sector. We are not just making repairs. We are overhauling the system, the industry and the institution.”
The PUV modernization program, a flagship project of the Duterte administration, has been met with protests from the transport sector, particularly militant transport groups, who argued that jeepney operators cannot afford the high cost of replacing their gasoline-run jeepneys with solar-powered jeepneys the government is pushing.
De Leon said the “outdated” public-transportation system is endangering the lives of commuters, as well as the environment.
“Everyday, you see accidents on the roads, and you have dilapidated jeepneys causing many illnesses,” he added. Many of the current jeepneys plying the roads nationwide are more than a decade old.
“More than half of the pollution of urban areas is caused by outdated public vehicles. They are unsafe and inconvenient,” de Leon said.
De Leon added both the DOTr and LTFRB will help the transportation sector make the transition easier.
“We will be helping our drivers and operators by introducing them to this new system through a very generous financing package,” de Leon said.
De Leon said the DOTr will help local government units to ease the implementation of the PUV modernization plan in their respective local government units.
“The new policy of the DOTr is, we will plan the public-transportation system of the LGU for cities and the rural areas,” he said.
PUV modernization in Tacloban is already underway. Since last December, solar-powered electronic jeepneys have been plying the villages in the northern part of the city, where 15,000 families were relocated from their old communities deemed high-risk areas.
At the moment, 45 electric jeepneys are already deployed and used by commuters.