Poe warns vs jeepney shortage

SEN. Mary Grace Poe on Tuesday said the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board should publicize a complete list of routes that are expected to have a shortage of jeepneys starting February 1.

Jeepney drivers and operators have until February 1 to consolidate or form a cooperative to fully benefit from the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

“Instead of just training its sights on the crackdown of unconsolidated jeepneys, concerned agencies must prioritize contingency measures to ensure that the mobility of our commuting public will not be hampered,” Poe said.

“Every day, we hear commuters express their anxiety about the possibility of the lack of PUVs or spending more for alternative modes of transportation, which many would find painful on the pocket,” she said in a statement.

The PUVMP also “looms like a death knell to the drivers who have remained without cooperatives for valid reasons, such as the high cost of the new jeepney units,” said Poe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services.

“What’s the use of the PUV modernization if this will not be implemented properly and if it will lead to more hardship to our commuters and ordinary drivers?” she added.

Meanwhile, Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito renewed his push for rail projects amid worsening traffic congestion.

“The worsening traffic congestion, exacerbated by record-breaking car sales last year, is disconcerting,” the senator said in a statement.

He said data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association showed that 429,000 new vehicles were sold in 2023.

“This trend is poised to aggravate our current traffic situation. It may result in an additional 2 million cars on our roads in the next five years,” Ejercito said.

“It should serve as a warning. The only way out is to put railway projects on the fast track,” he said. He urged the Department of Transportation and other concerned agencies to “push all previously funded rail projects out of the pipeline.”

“I will continue to advocate for the prioritization and swift implementation of rail projects,” Ejercito said.