The Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program is not only aimed at shifting to safer and climate-friendly vehicles and industry consolidation, but will also help ease traffic congestion.
This was the view shared by Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas president Orlando Marquez Sr. who also urges drivers and operators to support the government's public utility vehicles modernization efforts.
Marquez who was one of the guests at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, pointed that a series of public consultations were already provided by the Marcos administration to lay down the guidelines for the PUVMP implementation.
"Let's start with the consolidation process. It will be followed by the process that paves the way for road rationalization. We really have to follow the rules and regulation set by the government" Marquez said.
Last Friday the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board reported that around 145,721 PUVs or 76 percent of all PUVs operating in fixed routes nationwide are consolidated or have already applied for consolidation.
The LTFRB said the consolidation rate for public utility jeepneys has reached 73.9 percent while UV Express units have reached 82 percent.
Jeepneys have drawn a lot of ire from the government because of their poor maintenance, poor safety record, and little to no recompense for affected passengers if they get into accidents.
Launched in June 2017, the PUVMP sought to provide safer, more-efficient and more strictly-regulated means of transport for the riding public. Though commonly associated with jeepneys, the PUVMP actually covers all modes of road-going 4 to 6-wheeled passenger transport.
As metropolis roads are plied by a wide variety of public transport vehicles, many of which overlap in terms of route, franchise, and service, there are the jeepneys which serve a variety of routes
UV Express vans on the other hand which started as point to point transport services, have begun operating like jeepneys, sometimes picking up passengers along the way.
Marquez said the PUVMP will solve all theseproblems along with the traffic congestion.
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino said the government should properly explain the implementation of consolidation policies under PUV modernization to the affected transportation sector.
"The government should also consider providing a much more affordable jeepney unit for the affected drivers and operators," he said.
