Lack of PUV route plan, cap on TNVS units keep commuters waiting for rides
MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration should fast-track creation of a route rationalization plan for public transport and raise the cap on Transport Network Vehicle Services to make commuting more bearable, a commuter advocacy network said.
Primo Morillo, convenor of transport group The Passenger Forum, cited an informal survey that found that 78% of TNVS passengers frequently had to pay more due to surge pricing while 72% experienced difficulty in booking a unit. This came after the LTFRB’s mass deactivation of TNVS units in June 2019.
A separate survey the group came out with earlier this month suggested that 79% of Filipino commuters find waiting time too long while 96% disagree that there are enough PUVs — including buses and jeepneys — on the road to service commuters.
READ: Commuter group: Most Filipino commuters say waiting time too long, PUV supply lacking
"There are a lot of things dependent on this rationalization plan. We understand that they need to carefully study how to make our public transportation more efficient and effective in moving passengers but we want to know what is taking them so long," Morillo said.
To recall, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said at a Palace briefing in early July that a full study on a "fleet rationalization" plan is still ongoing. The plan is meant to optimize the number of vehicles servicing each route to accommodate rising demand as more people go back to on-site work and as face-to-face classes are set to resume.
Morillo also said that other transport groups have said they are also waiting for the release of the government's transport route plan.
"Some transport cooperatives that subscribed to the DOTr’s modernization plan are waiting for the release of the [route rationalization plan] as this is a requirement for them to acquire their modern jeepneys. They [have been] waiting for about two years and nothing is happening," he said.
The Passenger Forum said that the route rationalization plan should also be made public for input from the riding public.
“We want the plan to be released not because we will accept it as it is but because we have to check how responsive it is to the situation of commuters and the transport crisis happening now,” he appealed.
"We want to know how they plan to cover unserved and underserved areas, how interconnected the routes and transport modes will be, and how this will help start the shift from a car-centric policy environment to a commuter-centered transport system. We hope the DOTr will be consultative in its process."
'Raising cap for TNVS will help transport situation'
Allowing more TNVS units on the road will also "help our transport situation in more ways than one," Morillo said.
"There are only 3/10 cars pre-pandemic on the road. 8,000 slots were recently opened but only 5% had been onboarded by the government," Grab Philippines said in a tweet in June.
"The situation is the same now given the high demand for all kinds of available transport options...Allowing more TNVS units will make this mobility option more affordable as the pricing for this service is dynamic. It will prevent price surges due to high demand and low supply," Morillo said.
"Less price surges and lower rates could convince car owners to book TNVS services instead of using their own cars. Commuters who can afford lower TNVS rates may also choose this option and could effectively lessen the demand for mass transport."
— Franco Luna
- Latest
- Trending
