Business groups on Thursday welcomed the government’s policy encouraging private sector participation through public-private partnerships.
“We welcome the amendments to the implementing rules and regulations of the amended Build-Operate-Transfer Law that are investor-friendly and are likely to generate bigger private sector involvement in government infrastructure projects,” the groups said in a joint statement.
The 28 business groups underscored the EDSA Busway System as one low-hanging fruit for PPP that is urgently needed.
The groups said they fully support the privatization of the EDSA Busway System, conformably with the PPP process and under concession terms beneficial to all sectors concerned.
The Department of Transportation said the busway system carried an average of 325,000 passengers daily in August, even with only 550 buses committed to its operations, compared to the pre-pandemic level of 3,300 units.
It has halved the end-to-end travel time on EDSA from Monumento in Caloocan City to the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange from 3 hours to 1 1/2 hours.
“These are truly impressive gains that reflect great opportunity for further improvement,” the groups said, adding that the system provides an opportunity for the government to upgrade the country’s public transportation system, despite the challenges posed by severe fiscal constraints brought about by the pandemic.
The groups agreed that the government and the private sector should join hands to provide the critical components needed to complete the Busway System and put an end to the daily scenario of thousands of commuters in long queues in overcrowded stations while enduring unnecessary pains and hardships.
