Calm down over PUV phaseout, operators asked

PUBLIC utility vehicle (PUV) operators planning to stage a transport strike to protest the implementation of the Transportation department’s modernization program were asked to calm down by Sen. Grace Poe.

The program seeks to free the roads of dilapidated motor vehicles 15 years old or older.

At the same time, Poe on Tuesday urged Transportation officials to submit their report on the latest developments regarding the PUV modernization program, which the Department of Transportation (DoTr) is set to roll out this year.

The Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide earlier said it would hold another strike to protest the “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” program of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

The transport group alleged that the campaign against run- down vehicles was part of the attempt of the government to phase out jeepneys.

Poe, who heads the Senate Committee on Public Services, appealed to public transport operators to take it easy and think about the thousands of commuters that would be affected by their actions.

“The lack of transportation hits the commuters hard and disrupts work and classes,” she pointed out.

The DoTr launched the “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” program on January 8, 2018 in a bid to ensure that all public utility vehicles operating in the country are roadworthy and safe.

Poe called on the Transportation department to update the public on the modernization program so that they would have an idea on what to expect.

The DoTr, during a Senate hearing on the modernization in December, promised to have a continuing dialogue with PUV organizations, operators and employees.

Also during the hearing, Poe proposed that the DoTr try the program on specific areas, and focus first on doable tests, such as compliance with safety, road worthiness and smoke emission.

“We want to know what has happened to the modernization program. Has the DoTr come up with clear guidelines on how to implement this? There are still many things to be ironed out,” the senator said.

The Transportation department, according to her, should present details of the program to avoid confusion and misinformation among jeepney drivers and operators who would be greatly affected by the modernization program.

The PUV modernization program as applied to jeepneys aims to gradually phase out old and dilapidated jeepneys, operating for 15 years or more, and replace them with environment-friendly vehicles equipped with more efficient engines, such as Euro 4 engines or electrically powered engines with solar panels for roofs.

Drivers who will avail of the program are entitled to a start-up amount of P80,000, which can be used to pay the down payment for a new unit amounting to P1.6 million.

While Poe believes there is a need to modernize the country’s public transportation, such as jeepneys, the program should not result in unjustly killing the source of livelihood of the drivers.