22 senators want PUV modernization program put on hold

Modern jeepneys wait for passengers in Cubao, Quezon City. —Niño Jesus Orbeta/Inquirer file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The majority of senators have thrown their support behind a resolution urging the government to temporarily suspend the implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), formerly known as the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program (PUVMP), to pave the way for a review and also address issues raised by transport groups.

Proposed Senate Resolution No. 1096, which was authored and signed by 22 of the 23 remaining senators following Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara’s appointment as education secretary, calls for the program to be put on hold “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.”

READ: PUV modernization: Filipino jeepneys out, China imports in

Only Sen. Risa Hontiveros did not sign the resolution. Sen. Robinhood Padilla signed it but 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.

READ: PUV modernization: Understanding defiance of operators, drivers

They added that more consideration and clarifications were needed from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to address concerns voiced by affected sectors, especially drivers.

Consolidation requirement

Under the modernization program, jeepney operators and drivers must consolidate, join or form cooperatives to ply their routes and avail themselves of government assistance in modernizing and managing their fleets, among other services.

This is part of a process toward the phaseout of traditional jeepneys and their replacement with eco-friendly but more expensive modern units that will be partly subsidized by the government.

The senators noted that 36,217 PUV units or around 19 percent of PUVs and other vehicles failed to consolidate despite the April 30 deadline. They attributed this to the government’s failure to properly educate drivers, operators, and transport groups about the program as well as the “burden of financing the cost of modern PUVs, which greatly exceeds the financial capacity of drivers and operators.”

The DOTr did not immediately respond to calls for comments on the Senate resolution. But 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. —with a report from Dexter Cabalza