THE Automotive Body Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (Abmap) believes the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program provides an “opportunity” for the local automotive industry to showcase capabilities in producing modern vehicle bodies, among others.
In a statement issued last Saturday, the Abmap said it also sees the PUV modernization program as an opportunity to promote sustainable transportation in the country.
By replacing the “old and inefficient” jeepneys with “modern and eco-friendly” vehicles, the program can contribute to reducing carbon emissions and promoting a cleaner environment, the group’s statement read.
The organization representing the country’s automotive truck body manufacturing sector noted the program’s aim to replace the “old and dilapidated” jeepneys with “safer, more comfortable, and eco-friendly” vehicles. The Abmap also said it considers the program promotes the organization of transport cooperatives as a way to improve the management and operation of public transportation.
“Many successful cooperatives are already plying many routes across the country, and 60 percent of all operators have already organized into cooperatives. Slowly but surely, people are realizing that we have no choice but to modernize,” ABMAP Executive Director Von Carlo Deveza was quoted in the statement as saying.
Deveza added that Abmap’s support for the PUV modernization program is a “step towards improving the country’s transportation system.”
With the increasing number of “successful” transport cooperatives already operating in the country, more operators are realizing the benefits of modernizing their vehicles, Deveza noted.
The Abmap believes that the PUVM program can provide “significant benefits” to both the transportation sector and the general public.