Philippine Senate President Urges DoTr to Finalize Clear Roadmap for PUV Modernization Program
Key Takeaways
- •Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian said the DoTr must complete a clear roadmap, including finishing route rationalization, to secure the long-term success of the PUV Modernization Program.
- •At a Sept. 18 Senate hearing on the DoTr's proposed budget, Gatchalian expressed concern that route rationalization studies initiated under the Duterte administration remain unfinished.
- •Gatchalian and Transportation Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez both warned that elevated fuel prices will make it difficult for operators and drivers to keep up with amortization payments.
- •Lopez maintained that rising fuel costs are precisely why the modernization program must continue moving forward.
- •Launched in 2017, the PUVMP aims to replace aging jeepneys with units meeting modern safety, emissions, and accessibility standards, but it has faced repeated delays and resistance from transport groups citing the high cost of new vehicles.
Senate President Sherwin “Win” T. Gatchalian said on Tuesday that the Department of Transportation (DoTr) must finalize a clear roadmap to ensure the long-term success of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
In a statement, Mr. Gatchalian said the department needs to complete the program's basic components, including route rationalization — the process of determining the necessary routes and the number of public transportation units required to respond to passenger demand.
Concerns over stalled studies
During a Sept. 18 Senate hearing on the DoTr's proposed budget for next year, Mr. Gatchalian raised concern over the delayed completion of route rationalization studies that were initiated during the administration of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
“We keep allocating money to [the PUVMP], but the project never gets finished. We’ve already reached a point of high oil prices. They [operators and drivers] will struggle to pay their amortization,” he concluded.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez agreed, adding that rising fuel prices will make it harder for operators and drivers to pay. He said this is why the PUVMP must push forward.
Program background
Launched in 2017 under the Duterte administration, the PUVMP seeks to replace aging public utility vehicles, most notably traditional jeepneys — long a fixture of daily commuting in the Philippines — with units that meet modern safety, emissions, and accessibility standards. Route rationalization, along with the consolidation of individual franchises into cooperatives or corporations, is among the program's core components. The initiative has repeatedly faced delays and resistance from some transport groups, which have cited the high cost of modern units as a burden on small operators and drivers.
With the DoTr's proposed budget for next year still pending before Congress, whether the department completes the Duterte-era route rationalization studies and issues a finalized roadmap will be a key marker of the program's progress.
— Francessca S. Abalos
Source: BusinessWorld Online
