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Ni ESTONG REYES
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 modern jeeps na ipa-pautang sa consolidated transport cooperatives para tugunan ang public transport shortage na nilikha ng pamahalaan sa bisa 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 ay di alam kung kakayanin 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 sa sandaling ikonsidera ang mahal na modern jeeps.
Di rin aniya siguradong magpapautang ang 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 mabaon sa utang dahil taas ng presyo ng isang unit ng modern PUV, pwede pa silang malugi dahil hindi nga sila binigyan ng katiyakan sa ruta at kita ng DoTr,” ani 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.”
