MALACANANG yesterday said the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program will proceed as planned, but only after ongoing studies and preparations for the program have been completed.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not want to add to the burden of the PUV operators and drivers and agreed with the need for more preparations.
“Ayaw naman din po niyang pahirapan ang mga operators at mga jeepney drivers natin kung ipu-push po ito tapos parang pilit. So, dapat po talagang aralin para po lahat po naman ay maging maayos ang takbo at pag-implement po ng programa na ito (He does not want to burden the operators and jeepney drivers if we push for its implementation. It should be carefully studied to ensure that the implementation would be in order),” she said
Castro said Transportation Secretary Vivencio Dizon had reported to the President about the status of the Public Transportation Modernization Program (PTMP), along with the current challenges such as the readiness of operators and drivers and their capability to meet the financial requirements.
She said the government is looking at the capability and how to strengthen the transportation cooperatives to be able to assist the operators and drivers, looking at tapping more manufacturers to reduce the cost of modern units, and the provision of loans.
Castro said the government is considering the availability of routes, as many places have low to no presence of jeepneys.
She said these will be addressed in coordination with local government units (LGUs).
Castro also amid these issues, the PUV modernization would eventually proceed.
“Tuloy pa rin po ang PUV modernization program, ihahanda lang po natin ang mga stakeholders dito (The PUV modernization program will still proceed; we just need to prepare the stakeholders),” she said.
The PUV Modernization Program was started in 2017 by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to phase out old PUVs and replace them with more modern, eco-friendly, and safer alternatives.
