Iloilo transport groups express support to PUV modernization program
SEVERAL TRANSPORT groups in Iloilo, including Iloilo City, expressed readiness to participate in the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program as the first fleet of modernized jeepneys was launched last Tuesday. “We do not have any choice. We have to modernize as everyone is into modernization to serve the commuters and counter climate change. We need to support this because this is for the good of the majority,” Rizalito Alido, secretary general of the Iloilo City Alliance of Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative, told the press during the launching ceremony. Mr. Alido said the Office of Transport Cooperative endorsed their group for the program. The modern jeepneys, owned by MetroExpress Connect Inc. (MCI), started plying three new routes on July 31. Mr. Alido admitted that they still have difficulty adapting to the modernization program, but they are hopeful that the government will provide subsidy and alternatives. Among their pending requests are a P2,000 to P5,000 monthly fuel subsidy and authority to keep using the old jeepneys for private trips. Another transport group leader, Val Casipong of the United Drivers Transport Cooperative, said they also support the shift to modern units. Mr. Casipong, who was among the first passengers during the test drive of the modernized jeepneys on July 30, said the new vehicles do provide a more comfortable ride for commuters. —