Government keen on improving public transport system

Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez gave assurances yesterday that the Arroyo administration intends to improve the public transportation system.

In partnership with the private sector, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Alvarez said, has embarked on various programs that would help "shape the country’s path in the competitive global future."

Alvarez, who marked his first year as DOTC secretary yesterday, said the department, for instance, is planning to revive the Manila-Baguio route of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

He added that the extensions of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems will improve public transport in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Under the plan, the MRT will be extended to Monumento in Caloocan City while the LRT will be extended to Bacoor, Cavite.

There is also a plan to link up the MRT and LRT systems to enable passengers to have access to both transport facilities.

"The modernization of 114 seaports through computerization and automation is also a prime objective of the DOTC. Foreign lenders have been very supportive of these projects," he said.

In the aviation sector, he said the DOTC is modernizing at least 25 airports nationwide. — Sheila Crisostomo