MANILA, Philippines- Hiniling ni Senador Risa Hontiveros sa Department of Transportation (DOTr) na makipagtulungan sa Land Bank of the Philippines at Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) sa pagbili ng modernong PUVs na ipauutang sa consolidated transport cooperatives upang tugunan ang kakapusan ng sasakyan na nilikha ng PUV Modernization Program.
“This drastic problem requires a drastic solution. Kailangang hingan na ng tulong ng DOTr ang Landbank at DBP, kasama ang mga asset management entities nila, para pwedeng gawing lease contracts na lang muna ang mga amortization contracts para sa mga transport cooperatives na hanggang ngayon, ‘di alam kung kakayanin ba ang modernization program,” ayon kay Hontiveros.
Pagpapatuloy pa ni Hontiveros, “The DOTr should use its 2024 and 2025 subsidy budgets to purchase modern PUVs for leasing to cooperatives, that may later choose to enter into a lease-to-own arrangement with the government if the routes that will later be assigned to them will prove to be profitable.”
Ayon kay Hontiveros, kung walang malinaw na ruta, hindi matitiyak ng transport cooperatives na magiging financially viable sila kapag bumili ng mahal na modernong jeep at baka hindi sila pahiramin ng bangko.
“Since the DoTr and Malacañang have forced drivers and operators off their routes and off the roads by saying that only those that have joined coops and corporations can continue to ply their old routes there won’t be enough vehicles on the roads,” ayon kay Hontiveros.
Bahagi ng kanyang panukala bilang remedyo sa kakapusan ng transportasyon na atasan ng DOTr ang local government units na bumili at mag-operate ng PUV fleets sa pamamagitan ng service contracting agreements sa transport cooperatives.
“Kung ganito ang gagawin, maiibsan ng DOTr ang pangamba ng maraming PUV drivers at operators, pati na yung mga napilitan lang na sumali sa transport coops dahil sa April 30 deadline, na lalo lang silang mababaon sa utang dahil mahal na nga ang isang unit ng modern PUV, pwede pa silang malugi dahil hindi nga sila binigyan ng katiyakan sa ruta at kita ng DoTr,” giit ni Hontiveros.
“The DOTr must take the wheel and ensure that the modernization program doesn’t run over the livelihoods of PUV drivers and operators. After all, it is the government that can initially take on the risk of making the investment in modern fleets because it is more knowledgeable about what lies ahead and seems much less afraid of the risks of the modernization program,” dagdag ng senadora. Ernie Reyes
