By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
With the transport sector among those that were the hardest hit by skyrocketing fuel prices, the government has rolled out various initiatives to ease the burden on the income and families of PUV drivers and operators.
Chief among them was the Service Contracting Program (SCP), which was the focal point of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s visit to the Araneta Center Terminal in Cubao, Quezon City on Monday.
The President led the inspection by assessing the welfare of commuters aboard the modern jeepneys awaiting passengers at the terminal and ensuring that participating units have banners, posters, and fare matrix posted on the vehicle for easier identification.
Under the SCP, participating public utility vehicles (PUVs) are paid a fixed amount per kilometer traveled, which ensures profitability regardless of the number of passengers that they ferried from point A to point B—five days a week, and only during off-peak hours.
Commuters are likewise granted a 20% fare discount on top of existing ones already enjoyed by senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and students.
Approximately 50,000 PUVs (modern jeepneys, UV Express vans, city buses, EDSA Carousel buses) and 1,000 transport operators nationwide are covered by the initiative, which will then benefit approximately 15 million passengers on a regular basis.
The subsidy rate is pegged at P100 per kilometer for EDSA Busway buses, P40 per kilometer for modern jeepneys and UV Express, and P30 per kilometer for traditional jeepneys.
Two monitoring systems were put in place by the government to ensure the effectiveness of the program, which includes GPS tracking for a monthly fee of P500, and manual monitoring facilitated by traffic enforcers for operators who cannot afford to install such a device on their vehicles.
Accompanying the Chief Executive during his brief engagement with commuters and PUV drivers were Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairperson Vigor Mendoza II and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez. (with report from Clay Pardilla/PTV News)
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