By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Consistent with the Build Better More infrastructure initiative of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is in constant search of ways to expedite and complete the construction of various projects geared towards bolstering the country’s transportation sector.
In a market sounding activity for the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) Project held in Singapore on Monday, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon took to the podium and called on other countries and the private sector to lend a helping hand in realizing the President’s vision of a commuter-centric transportation system.
Secretary Dizon said, addressing delegates from Singapore, Japan, France, South Korea, and other countries, “The President said: we have to give the Filipino people the public transport that they not only need, but what they deserve. That speaks to where our President’s heart is—that he understands the importance of mobility, the daily commute. He feels our people’s pain on a daily basis.”
Dizon likewise noted that these interventions are part of the government’s actions to instigate a gradual shift from a car-centric approach to improving the transportation system, noting the persistent traffic congestion woes and various losses arising from it.
With the help of other countries and multilateral partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as well as InfraAsia, Secretary Dizon noted that the Philippines can also achieve and build a public transportation model similar to other progressive countries.
The transportation czar pleaded, “Please, help us fulfill the President’s vision. This will change the lives of millions of Filipinos. It will change the way families enjoy their time with each other, [and their] productivity. It will change the daily lives of every Filipino, who wakes up every morning and goes to work, every student who goes to school, every senior citizen who has to endure dilapidated public transport.”
Moreover, the government is eyeing the privatization of the NSCR Project’s operations and maintenance under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with stakeholders.
The NSCR is a 147-kilometer railway linking communities in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, and Laguna. It is expected to serve 750,000 passengers daily, and is slated for full operation in 2032.
jpv
