22 Senators Urge PUV Modernization Program be Temporarily Placed on Hold
PUV MODERNIZATION – 22 senators demand that the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program be put on hold.
A majority of senators have backed a resolution urging the government to temporarily halt the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), previously known as the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program (PUVMP), to allow for a review and address concerns raised by transport groups.
Based on a report from Inquirer, proposed Senate Resolution No. 1096, authored and signed by 22 of the 23 remaining senators after Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara’s appointment as education secretary, calls for the suspension of the program “pending the resolution of valid and urgent concerns raised by affected drivers, groups, unions, and transport cooperatives with the end in view [of] ensuring a more efficient and inclusive implementation of the PTMP.”
According to the report, Sen. Risa Hontiveros did not sign the resolution, and Sen. Robinhood Padilla signed it with reservations.
“There is an urgent need to thoroughly review and reassess the impact of the program, to alleviate the fears of the drivers and transport operators who will be directly burdened by its implementation,” the senators said.
They emphasized that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) needed to provide more consideration and clarification to address the concerns of the affected sectors, especially the drivers.
The modernization program requires jeepney operators and drivers to consolidate or form cooperatives to continue their routes and access government assistance for modernizing and managing their fleets, among other services.
This is part of a transition to phase out traditional jeepneys and replace them with eco-friendly but more expensive modern units, partially subsidized by the government.
The senators noted that 36,217 PUV units, or about 19 percent of PUVs and other vehicles, failed to consolidate by the April 30 deadline. They attributed this to the government’s failure to adequately educate drivers, operators, and transport groups about the program, as well as the financial burden of modern PUVs, which exceeds the financial capacity of drivers and operators.
Based on the report, the DOTr did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the Senate resolution. However, during a public briefing on Tuesday, Transportation Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Andy Ortega said they would send a letter “to clarify to the senators the real status of our program.”
Earlier this week, transport groups supporting the program threatened to go on strike and not vote for senators who sign the resolution.
“They are feeling both sadness and anger, because they are the majority and they have embraced the program. They already invested a lot of time and money because they believed in the program of the government,” Ortega said.
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