By Aerol John Pateña/PNA
MANILA — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has welcomed the proposed bill filed before the House of Representatives requiring transportation officials to take public transportation regularly.
In a statement Thursday, the DOTr said it would coordinate with the bill’s proponent, Rep. Winston Castelo, to craft similar legislations aimed at improving the country’s transportation system.
“The DOTr recognizes the good intent of the House committee chair on Metro Manila development and House committee member of Transportation Winston Castelo, as we look forward to working with him on this proposal and other similar legislations that could help in addressing our transportation needs,” the statement read.
“It has always been our practice in the DOTr that for one to be able to fully satisfy the demands of our stakeholders, it is essential to empathize with them and experience it ourselves,” it added.
The DOTr noted that most of its officials take public transport even in the absence of such bill mandating them to do so.
“Secretary Tugade, for instance, commutes using different public transport modes to his appointments, away from any media attention or fanfare,” its statement read.
Castelo filed House Bill 8859 that requires government officials in charge of public transportation to take public transport at least once a month.
Among the agencies covered by the bill are the DOTr, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
The DOTr assured commuters that it will find various solutions and alternatives that will lead to the improvement of the country’s traffic situation.
“Rest assured that we will never stop in finding means to know, feel and relate with all the sufferings of our Kababayans to make all our programs and projects responsive to their needs,” the statement read.
In an earlier interview, DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport Mark de Leon reiterated that the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program would improve the transportation sector, as he appealed to lawmakers to provide funding, through additional subsidies, for public utility vehicle drivers and operators to comply with the program.
Under the program, jeepney units would be improved with Euro 4 engines or electrically-powered engines, solar panels for roofs and equipped with closed-circuit television cameras, a GPS navigation system, an Automatic Fare Collection System, speed limiters, dashboard cameras, and Wi-Fi.
There are also various transportation projects such as the Mega Manila Subway, rehabilitation of the operations of the Metro Railway Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), extension of the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2, development of regional airports, among others, to decongest traffic in Metro Manila.
