DOTr stresses need for PUV modernization

Transportation Sec. Jaime Bautista —Inquirer file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista warned senators about the negative impact of stopping the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) days before they signed a resolution urging the government to temporarily suspend the program’s suspension.

In a statement on Saturday, the DOTr said Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista sent a 101-page letter, including attachments, dated July 29 before Senate Resolution No. 1096 was signed by 22 senators.

In the letter, Bautista insisted that the overall impact of the PTMP since its inception in 1992 has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

READ: LTFRB, DOTr: PUV modernization to go on despite Senate’s suspension reso

Bautista said “continuing the PTMP aligns with our common goal of benefiting the community and advancing public welfare.” According to the secretary, suspending PTMP at the current stage of its implementation could disrupt services for many who depend on its benefits.

He said “significant” resources have already been invested in developing and implementing the PTMP, formerly known as the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program. Bautista said that the government appropriated P1.6 billion for the program in 2024.

The program’s utilization rate is at 53 percent of the its total P7.5 billion budget from 2018 to 2024.

“Suspending the program now risks wasting these investments and incurring additional costs to reestablish similar initiatives in the future,” the secretary said.

Transport Undersecretary Jesus Ferdinand Ortega and LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III on Thursday said a majority of the public transport sector have already signed up under scheme. —Jerome Aning