Government urged: Allow more PUVs on streets

MANILA, Philippines — The government must address the plight of commuters at risk of contracting COVID-19 and paying more for transportation expenses as they scramble for rides daily amid the scarcity of public transport, Sen. Grace Poe said yesterday.

Poe, who chairs the Senate public services committee, cited the report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) of a slight deceleration in inflation in March but a hefty increase in the transportation index, which accounts for 25.5 percent of total inflation.

“The lack of PUVs (public utility vehicles) is the reason why people cram themselves into buses and jeeps that are available because they do not know when the next ride will come,” Poe said.

According to PSA data, inflation for transportation jumped to 13.8 percent in March from 10.4 percent in February due largely to the 47.5 percent acceleration in tricycle fares.

“When bigger vehicles such as buses and jeeps aren’t available, commuters are forced to take short-route rides, hopping from one area to another, that’s why it (commuting) is now more expensive,” the senator said.

The Department of Transportation is one of the agencies with the biggest budgets and it can learn a thing or two from local government units with very limited resources, specifically on how it can focus on the needs of commuters while providing employment in the community, she said.

“The agony and peril that our commuters go through just to earn a living and make both ends meet amid the pandemic deserve heightened attention from government,” Poe said.