Councilor calls for review instead of suspending PUV modernization

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor and Juliane Judilla

Unlike the suspension pushed by the Senate, the Iloilo City Council is suggesting a review and reevaluation of the controversial Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

The City Council unanimously approved a resolution urging the president and Congress to review the implementation of the PUVMP during its regular session on Wednesday, July 31.

Councilor Rommel Duron, proponent of the resolution, said the PUVMP and its local public transport route planning (LPTRP) component “fail in execution and implementation, and while this may be applicable to highly urbanized cities, it is not suitable for many cities or municipalities.”

“There is no doubt that we need to modernize the Public Transport System; however, its implementation has faced challenges such as insufficient program resources, coordination, and communication mechanisms between agencies,” he added.

The councilor also stressed that there is a lack of inclusive multi-stakeholder participatory spaces for program planning and implementation.

He argued that the government’s approach, treating the jeepney modernization program as a one-size-fits-all solution, overlooks the varying population sizes and income capacities across the country.

This oversight has led to significant hardships for non-consolidated Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) operators and drivers, who are struggling with the transition and lack of support.

Duron suggested that the government should have identified specific areas that truly need the PUVMP and conducted pilot testing in major cities. He pointed out that areas with high vehicle density and severe traffic-related air pollution are far different from less urbanized areas that may not require the same level of modernization.

“There should have been pilot testing, perhaps in Metro Manila or in highly urbanized cities, since these have more vehicles and high traffic-related air pollution. If it is Badiangan, then the case is different,” he said in an interview.

In the PUVMP, jeepneys over 15 years old will be phased out and replaced with at least a Euro 4-compliant engine to lessen pollution.

Duron noted that many transport cooperatives are also struggling due to insufficient training and managerial skills among their officers, raising the risk of failure.

“There is a need to delay the program given the plight of many jeepney drivers and operators who cannot afford the high price of modernized jeepneys, and some drivers and operators are already displaced,” he said.

“It is imperative that the government review and recalibrate the program to prioritize easing out the transition, enable inclusive multi-stakeholder participation in the program, provide incentives and capacity development to support the transition,” the councilor added.

SENATE RESOLUTION

In a unanimous vote, the Senate passed Resolution No. 1096, seeking to temporarily suspend the implementation of the Public Transportation Modernization Program, previously known as the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), on Monday, July 31.

The resolution stated that 36,217 units, or approximately 19% of the jeepneys and other PUVs, have not yet consolidated after the April 30 deadline due to the government’s insufficient information drive and lack of consultation with drivers and operators about the program and the burden of financing the cost of modernized PUVs.

It also mentioned the possibility of these numbers increasing, as drivers and operators have filed complaints and petitions due to the apparent mismanagement of their respective cooperatives.

Ilonggo transport groups welcomed the decision and the temporary suspension.

The No to PUV Phaseout Coalition (NTPPC)-Western Visayas and Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON)-Panay stated that the resolution to suspend the implementation of the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) is a “historic victory” for their decades-long campaign.

“We are grateful for the Senate’s decision to suspend PUVMP,” Robert Ventura, Secretary-General of NTPPC-Panay, told Daily Guardian in an interview.

“We call on the government to fully scrap the program because it will not benefit drivers, operators, and especially commuters,” he added.

Ventura also called for the scrapping of all policies and programs under PUVMP, such as the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP), Provincial Public Transport Route Plan (PPTRP), and compulsory consolidation, and for the return of the 5-year franchise for traditional jeepney drivers and operators.

Under the resolution, the remaining unconsolidated units will no longer need to consolidate their franchise under a government-backed transport cooperative.