Mayor pushes ‘win-win solution’ to transport woes

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY  – Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said concerned government agencies and the city government will help the city’s transport sector look for  ‘win-win solution’ with implementation of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization  expected to take effect next year.

Speaking before members of the city’s transport sector and concerned sectors during the PUBV modernization caravan here Tuesday, the city chief executive said that it is important at this point of the program implementation for the members of the city’s transport sector to engage the government on the issue by airing their views and bringing their issues and concerns to the attention of relevant authorities mandated to act on the matter.

He said the issue on the implementation of the PUV modernization deals with the varying interests of a cross section of the society, particularly the public, the transport sector, and the issue on the preservation and protection of the environment, among other issues needing utmost attention from the concerned government agencies.

“There is always a point of convergence for everyone and we will surely be able to reach a compromise,” Magalong said.

He cited the case of Metro Manila with its more than 500,000 motor vehicles producing more than 70 percent of the country’s carbon emissions posing threat to the country’s environment and must be appropriately addressed in major part through the sustainable and doable implementation of the government’s PUV modernization program.

According to him, one of the pressing problems of the country needed urgent attention by concerned government agencies is climate change and the one way to ensure the significant reduction on carbon emissions by motor vehicles is through the use of energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly motor vehicles around the country.

He said there will be consultations on modalities of implementing the PUV modernization program thus it is still best for concerned stakeholders to raise their issues to be addressed by the concerned government agencies because in the end, the necessary ‘win-win solution’ must be achieved for the overall benefit of the people and the country’s transport sector.

Instead of voicing out their issues and concerns on the PUV modernization on the streets, Magalong expressed his gratitude to the members of the city’s transport sector in choosing to attend the forum organized for the purpose of getting their concerns to be addressed by higher authorities to make the modernization program doable and achievable at the grassroots level.

The government is inclined to implement the PUV modernization program early next year with the expected consolidation of transport groups into cooperatives or corporations to realize the overall objective of improving the state of public utility vehicles plying the different routes around the country for the safety of the general public patronizing the public transport.