City council wants PUVMP review

ILOILO CITY — City Council is pushing for reconsideration of the controversial Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), despite the Senate’s call to suspend the program.

During its regular session on Wednesday, July 31, the city council unanimously passed a resolution calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress to review the implementation of the PUVMP.

“The program should be delayed due to the plight of many jeepney drivers/operators who cannot afford to purchase expensive, upgraded vehicles, and some drivers and operators have already lost their jobs,” said Councilor Rommel Duron, a supporter of the resolution.

Duron stressed that the government needs to “review and recalibrate” the program to prioritize easing the transition to the new system and enabling participation by a wide range of stakeholders.

The councillor emphasised that the PUVMP “fails in terms of implementation and execution” and that while the programme can be applied in highly urbanised cities, it is not suitable for many other cities or municipalities.

“There is no doubt that we need to modernize the public transportation system, but its implementation has faced some challenges, such as insufficient program resources, lack of coordination and communication mechanisms between (agencies),” he added.

Duron noted that the government should identify specific areas where the PUVMP program is needed and conduct pilot tests in large cities.

He noted that less urbanized areas may not require the same level of retrofitting compared to areas with high vehicle density and severe air pollution from road traffic.

“There should be pilot tests. Maybe in Metro Manila or in highly urbanized cities because they have more vehicles and high traffic-related air pollution. If that’s the case (in the Iloilo province region), then it’s a different case,” he explained.

Under the PUVMP, public utility jeepneys (PUJs) older than 15 years will be withdrawn from service and replaced with vehicles equipped with at least a Euro 4 engine, thereby reducing air pollution.

Data from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board showed that 1,692, or 75 percent, of traditional PUJs in Iloilo City have met the PUVMP consolidation requirements.

The consolidation is part of the local public transportation route planning component of the PUVMP, which Iloilo City implemented in early May.