Dizon eyes mass transportation overhaul as new chief

Newly appointed Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon wasted no time outlining his priorities for the country's transport system, saying in an interview Wednesday that improving mass transit is his primary focus.

Dizon, who was previously in the private sector, expressed surprise at his appointment but acknowledged the urgency of addressing the daily struggles of commuters.

“Especially now that we see so many Filipinos struggling,” Dizon said.

He recalled his conversation with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who emphasized the difficulties faced by daily commuters. “‘Vince, millions of our people are wasting two to three hours in the morning and another two to three hours in the afternoon just to commute,’” Dizon quoted the President.

Dizon, who has also served as the head of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and played a role in the country’s COVID-19 testing efforts, stressed that overhauling the transportation system would take time.

“We need to improve and refine our mass transport system, but people should also understand that this will take years,” he said.

He also emphasized that there are short-term measures that could be implemented immediately. On his first day in office, Dizon personally assessed the EDSA Busway system, identifying a congestion issue caused by shared pathways between busway passengers and MRT riders. He plans to address this by creating separate pathways to improve passenger flow and efficiency.

EDSA busway system to stay

Dizon reaffirmed that the EDSA Busway system is a vital part of the transport network. “The EDSA Busway is working and effective. We need to improve it,” he said.

While privatization of transport projects remains an option in the future, Dizon said the government would continue to fund improvements in the short term. However, he also called for stricter enforcement, particularly against private vehicles and convoys using the EDSA Bus Lane. “It defeats the purpose of the lane,” he pointed out.

Dizon acknowledged the right-of-way issue as one of the biggest obstacles to completing transport infrastructure projects and urged the government to address it promptly.

As part of his initial actions, Dizon signed a department order to establish a project management office for overseeing major transport projects, including the Manila to Clark Railway, Metro Manila Subway, and Cebu Bus Rapid Transit. He added that more projects could be included in the future.