Following the controversial move of the transportation department and its attached agencies to restrict Grab and Uber services and phase out old jeepneys, Senator Sonny Angara has called for an assessment of the country’s mass transport system to ensure that transport policies ultimately promote the welfare of the riding public.
“We must look into the state of public transportation first to ensure that it is efficient, dependable, safe and affordable,” said Angara, chairman of the senate committee on ways and means.
He said the public should not be burdened in commuting everyday as he cited the complaints of commuters on the transportation system.
“I am appealing that the ride-hailing services should not be lost. They also plan to get rid of jeepney, the cheapest and most accessible public transport,” said Angara who filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into the country’s mass transport system.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has ordered Grab and Uber to deactivate more than 50,000 so-called colorum drivers.
Commuters, however, rallied behind Grab and Uber, saying that the ride-sharing applications offer better service, safety, convenience, and courtesy that other transportation services such as regular taxis fail to provide.
“Law and rules must adjust and be interpreted to favor new technologies which make people’s lives more convenient,” said Angara.
The senator led the Senate investigation last year on the alleged overcharging by airport taxis. As a result, Grab and Uber were allowed to enter Naia to drop off and pick up passengers.
Meanwhile, the newly launched jeepney modernization program was met with protests from transport groups, which called for the deferment of its implementation, saying that small jeepney operators do not have enough money to finance the conversion of jeepneys to solar-powered vehicles.
“While PUV modernization is integral to the traffic management solution of the country, we must allay the fears of the vulnerable members of our public transport sector by ensuring that adequate social protection measures are in place,” Angara said.
The country’s rail transit system, on the other hand, has come under intense public scrutiny in recent years with commuters regularly complaining of long waiting lines, passenger congestion, defective coaches, and poor maintenance.
Traffic and congestion problem in the country have also been identified by the current administration as a “crisis that impedes the mobility of people, goods and services and threatens the livability of our cities.”
“Mobility has been a key concern of our country. We should fast-track our projects on improving and modernizing our public transport system so that Filipinos will have a viable transportation option,” Angara said.