MANILA – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for supporting the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) and rejecting the calls for its suspension.
In a statement Wednesday, LTFRB chair Teofilo Guadiz III said Marcos’ support shows the importance of modernizing the country’s public transportation for increased safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
“I extend my utmost gratitude to [Marcos] for his unwavering support to the PTMP and the LTFRB,” Guadiz said.
He lauded Marcos for his “leadership and vision for a modernized transportation infrastructure.”
“[This is] vital in addressing the evolving needs of our commuters and ensuring a more reliable and eco-friendly public transportation network,” he said.
In an interview Wednesday, Marcos rejected the proposal to suspend the implementation of the PTMP, formerly the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program (PUVMP), as around 80 percent of PUV operators have already complied and expressed support for the program.
“I disagree with them because they said this was rushed. The modernization has been postponed seven times and those that have been objecting or have been crying out and asking for suspension are in the minority,” he said.
Last week, a Senate resolution was filed calling for the temporary suspension of the PTMP due to concerns about its implementation.
Senate Resolution No. 1096 highlighted the protests of drivers and PUV operators who have not joined the PTMP, particularly issues related to consolidation.
Meanwhile, in Cebu City, modern transportation players here thanked the President for his decision not to suspend the program.
Ellen Maghanoy, chair of the Federation of Cebu Transport Cooperatives, said Marcos’ rejection of calls from senators to suspend the PUV modernization had inspired them to improve their service of providing a safe and efficient mass transport system.
“We are really thankful to PBBM. Thank you, Mr. President! With your support of the PUV Modernization Program, we will strive to do better. We will hasten the implementation of the coordinated dispatching and automatic fare collection system,” Maghanoy told the Philippine News Agency.
She explained that should the dispatching system be fully coordinated, modern jeepney units would no longer need to compete with each other as time-to-ride applications would guide commuters on what time a particular modern jeep would ply a specific route.
An automatic fare collection system, on the other hand, would give commuters a seamless travel experience as they could pay fares ahead using any online payment system. (PNA)
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