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Friday, March 29, 2024

Leni: Don’t rush modernization of NCR’s public transport system

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The road to better public transportation in Metro Manila might be paved with good intentions but railroading it in the middle of the pandemic could only leave the commuters at a worse state than it was before, Vice President Leni Robredo said.

Robredo said forcing the consolidation of PUV operators, the use of common terminals, and the mandatory upgrading of fleets of jeepneys should be put on hold.

“We are for the modernization of our public transport. But we do not want to burden further our commuters and drivers. We should not insist on policies that are not yet apt given our context that we are in the middle of a pandemic. It is best to shelve these policies first,” the independent presidential aspirant said. Robredo said commuters are burdened by the use of integrated terminals because of health risks and higher fare.

“This is forcing passengers to ride colorum vans because these are more convenient and cheaper, but we all know colorum vans are not
regulated so the safety of passengers is not assured,” she said.

Robredo has always been a commuter herself, taking the bus going home to Naga City in Camarines Sur even after being elected as Vice
President.

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She had experienced first-hand the challenges to using public transportation.

While common terminals are seen to provide efficient and convenient transfers, the current setup of these facilities only raised transport
costs for commuters, Robredo said.

Passengers heading toward destinations in North Luzon would have to pay more to get to San Fernando, Pampanga or Baguio, with additional fares ranging from 22 percent to as high as 96 percent.

Robredo said like other industries that need support to recover, the public transportation sector also needs sufficient support, including offering subsidies or extending credit lines given the limitations in the carrying capacity of PUVs.

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