Senate President Francis Escudero asked the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to leave no one behind in its implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).
Even if some public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators did not heed the DOTr deadline to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations, Escudero said the government should continue to reach out to these groups and not close the door on them completely.
“Sa gobyerno, wala tayong karapatan na mawalan ng pasensya. Keep your lines of communication open and find a middle ground that you can agree upon,” the senator from Sorsogon said during a September 17 meeting with officials of the DOTr, led by Secretary Jaime Bautista.
He expressed the concerns raised by transport groups PISTON and Manibela on the implementation of the PTMP, as well as other PUV groups who have already consolidated.
One key issue brought up by the transport groups to him was the valuation of the existing jeepneys that will be “traded in” by the drivers and operators.
PISTON noted that the DOTr has yet to decide on the amount, which worries PUV drivers and operators participating in the PTMP because of the valuation’s impact on their downpayment for modern jeepneys.
Under the PTMP, local government units (LGUs) are also required to come up with their respective Local Public Transport Route Plans (LPTRPs), but only a few have been able to comply.
The DOTr informed Escudero that it expects the completion of the route plans between 2026 and 2027.
“Only 71 percent of all LGUs have been able to submit their LPTRPs and of those, only 11 percent have been approved by the DOTr,” said Escudero.
Escudero suggested to allow the unconsolidated PUV groups to operate on existing routes or “to consolidate but not become part of the cooperative” as many of them are uneasy about becoming part of such an organization.
The Senate President reiterated that issues must resolved before the PTMP is implemented, including addressing the so-called colorum PUVs.IMT
