Tugade, transport groups face off at Senate today

MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and leaders of militant transport groups are expected to face off today at the Senate inquiry into the controversial jeepney modernization program.

The Senate committee on public services, chaired by Sen. Grace Poe, is scheduled to conduct a hearing into the Department of Transportation’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program that is strongly opposed by militant transport groups like Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide and “No to Jeepney Modernization.”

The hearing was supposed to have been held last week but Tugade was not available.

Poe declined Tugade’s offer to send his subordinates to the hearing last week as she wanted the transportation chief to directly answer questions.

Also invited to the hearing are taxi operators, makers of jeepneys, and manufacturers of the new vehicles intended to replace jeepneys.

“We must hear from Secretary Tugade himself his answers to the many questions from transport groups and even the riding public on what this PUV modernization is all about,” Poe told dzBB.

She said the DOTr wants to implement the program next year but there remains a lot of questions and apprehensions on the project, particularly on the standards as well as financing for the purchase of new units by PUV operators.

She said the issue is important as about one in five passengers in the country rides the jeepney or about 20 million passengers a day. So a disruption in the jeepney transportation owing to the program would adversely affect the public, she added.

“But let’s also admit that our jeepneys are really dilapidated, unsafe, inconvenient, especially for the elderly. And the smoke they belch is really bad so for the passenger, you also want major improvements,” Poe said.

She said the government, nevertheless, should find the right balance in implementing the program, especially in light of reports that there is no assurance of the rollout of new vehicles next year.