• CHERYL G. CRUZ
A transport caravan in support of the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) will be held this afternoon, Aug. 5, in Bacolod City, initiated by the Bacolod Modernized Jeepney Transport Association (BMJTA).
BMJTA coordinator Marcelo Ochia told the Negros NOW Daily that the association, comprised of 11 corporations and cooperatives operating 579 modernized units on 21 routes in the highly-urbanized Bacolod, is joining this nationally-coordinated transport caravan to push for solutions to improve the transport situation in the country.
He said that similar activities will be held in Iloilo, Cebu, and Manila, among others, to advocate for the PTMP amid a recent resolution signed by 22 senators calling for a suspension in the program implementation.
Ochia assured commuters that public transport will not be affected by the caravan, as there are enough units to cater to them.
Assembly time will be at noon, with the eastern delegation set to gather at Bangga Fortune Towne, the northern delegation at Northbound Terminal, southern delegation at the Saint John Paul Tower at SM, and the central delegation at Bangga Cory Circumferential Road.
Ochia said around 1,500 drivers, operators, employees and other stakeholders are expected to take part in the caravan that will end at the Bacolod Government Center, for a program at 2 p.m.
“Despite the 22 senators’ calls for a temporary suspension, the BMJTA continues to advocate for the PTMP, emphasizing the slogan ‘Solusyon Indi Suspensyon’,” its press release stressed. “This caravan highlights the continued efforts of BMJTA and its members in pursuing modernization for the betterment of public transportation in Bacolod.”
The Department of Transportation earlier stressed it will push through with the nationwide PTMP despite the Senate resolution, adding that majority of the transport groups already signed up under the program.
These include the Pasang Masda, Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Stop and Go Transport Coalition, Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas, and the UV Express National Alliance of the Philippines.
Under the PTMP, road transportation system in the country will be transformed by addressing vehicle safety and quality, route network efficiency, and fleet management, while providing commuters with modern public utility vehicles that are comfortable, accessible, safe, and affordable, the DOTr said.
Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said in a statement Aug. 3 that continuing the PTMP “aligns with our common goal of benefiting the community and advancing public welfare.”
“Suspending the PTMP at this stage of its implementation could disrupt services for many who depend on its benefits. This could undermine progress and damage relationships with stakeholders, particularly given that a significant percentage have already consolidated,” Bautista said of the Senate resolution.
Significant resources have also already been invested in developing and implementing the PTMP, he said.
In 2024, government already appropriated P1.6 billion for the program, with utilization rate at 53 percent of the total P7.5 billion budget from 2018 to 2024. “Suspending the program now risks wasting these investments and incurring additional costs to reestablish similar initiatives in the future,” Bautista said.
He said that, as of April 30, 2024, there are 6,090 consolidated routes, while out of 1,574 LGUs nationwide, 71 percent have submitted their draft Local Public Transport Route Plans for DOTr/LTFRB review and approval. Nationwide consolidation reached 83.38 percent, and the Office of Transport Cooperatives has accredited 1,781 cooperatives with 262,870 members.
Under the PTMP, jeepney units that are 15 years old will be replaced with Euro 4 engines, or electrically-powered engines with solar panel roofing. “This goes beyond the drivers, the operators. This is about the commuters,” the DOTr stressed. | CGC
