SENATOR Juan Edgardo Angara has filed a resolution calling for the assessment of the country's mass transport system to make sure that these policies ultimately benefit the riding public.
Recent controversies on the banning of colorum units of app-based ride-hailing service Grab and Uber and the threat of transport strike over government's plan to phase out old jeepneys has put the country's transport policies in the forefront.
A closer look into the state of public transportation should be conducted to ensure that it is efficient, dependable, safe and affordable, said Angara.
"Hindi dapat pinahihirapan ang publiko sa kanilang pang araw-araw na pagbibiyahe," he added.
With the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board ordering Grab and Uber to deactivate their more than 50,000 so-called colorum drivers, Filipino commuters rallied support for Grab and Uber, stressing that ride-sharing applications offer better service, safety, convenience, and courtesy that other transportation services such as public taxis failed to provide.
A mediation hearing called by Senate committee on public services chaired by Senator Grace Poe forged an interim measure that would allow the Grab and Uber cars to operate pending a final compromise solution.
Angara said that law and rules must adjust and be interpreted to favor new technologies which make people's lives more convenient.
Angara had led the Senate investigation last year on the alleged overcharging by airport taxis, which allowed Grab and Uber cars to enter the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to drop off and pick up passengers.
Meanwhile, the newly launched jeepney modernization program was met with protests from transport groups, which called for the deferment of its implementation, saying that small jeepney operators do not have enough money to finance the conversion of jeepneys to solar-powered vehicles.
Angara said that while PUV modernization is integral to the traffic management solution of the country, the fears of the vulnerable members of our public transport sector must also be alleviated and addressed.
"Dahil nangangamba ang mga tsuper at malilit na operators na mawawalan sila ng hanapbuhay kapag tuluyan nang ipagbawal ang pagbyahe ng mga lumang jeepney," the lawmaker said.
The country's rail transit system, on the other hand, has come under intense public scrutiny in recent years with commuters regularly complaining of long waiting lines, passenger congestion, defective coaches, and poor maintenance.
Traffic and congestion problem in the country has also been identified by the current administration as a "crisis that impedes the mobility of people, goods, and services and threatens the livability of our cities."
"Mobility has been a key concern of our country. We should fast-track our projects on improving and modernizing our public transport system so that Filipinos will have a viable transportation option," Angara said. (VoxPop Philippines)