‘Have political will’ – Tugade on PUV modernization

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade urged members of government on Tuesday to “have political will” as he continued to push for the modernization of the country’s public utility vehicles (PUV).

“For the sake of this country, let us have political will,” Tugade said in a statement.

The day before, Sen. Grace Poe announced that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had postponed the phase-out of old PUVs in March 2019.

The Transportation secretary insisted: “We shall continue with the PUV Modernization Program.”

On Monday, Poe, who chairs the Senate committee on public services, said LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra told the hearing on PUV modernization that the agency was not prepared to totally remove old jeepneys.

“Yun ang sinabi ni Chairman Delgra talagang hindi pa handa ang gobyerno na i-phaseout ‘yan,” the senator told reporters.

She added, “In principle, sinabi na niya na hindi puwede o hindi pa dapat maging total phaseout pagdating ng Marso.”

Poe also expressed belief that the government was not ready to implement a total phaseout of PUVs as the requirements were still not clear to jeepney drivers. /cbb

READ: LTFRB to postpone total PUV phase out, says Poe

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