By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senator Grace Poe commended the new Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon for responding to their call to review the Public Transport Modernization Program (PUVMP).
Poe explained that they had been urging the DOTr to fix the program before setting a deadline for drivers.
“The Department has previously made false promises, which is why the Senate had to adopt a resolution against the phase-out of jeepneys,” Poe said.
“I also filed Senate Bill No. 105 consistently since 2019, advocating for a ‘just and humane’ PUV Modernization Program, which includes transitory assistance and support for operators, drivers, and other stakeholders,” she added.
The senator emphasized that the program needs urgent revisions.
“Aside from the lack of route plans, the high cost of units, foreign designs, and the absence of subsidies for drivers, the program’s utilization rate is alarmingly low—only 53% of the P7.5 billion budget allocated from 2018 to 2024 has been used.”
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