By Brian Campued
Malacañang on Tuesday welcomed the directive of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Acting Sec. Giovanni Lopez to all road and rail officials to take public modes of transportation from their homes to their offices at least once a week.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will not object to any agency policy as long as it is reasonable and will not violate the rights of employees.
“At maganda naman po ang magiging adhikaing ito para kung sino man po ang mga public officials natin ay talagang maranasan kung ano ang nararanasan ng mga pangkaraniwang mananakay,” Castro said.
The Palace press briefer’s remarks echoed the statement of Lopez when he issued the directive on Monday, ensuring that DOTr officials are aware of the needs of commuters.
“Itong mga opisyal natin sa Road at Rail sector, sila talaga ‘yung mga dapat lumalabas lagi kasi karamihan ng ating mga proyekto ay nasa mga sektor na ito,” the Transportation chief stressed.
The memorandum signed by Lopez covers the undersecretary and assistant secretary for road transport and non-infrastructure; undersecretary and director for road transport and infrastructure; as well as undersecretary and assistant secretary for railways.
It also includes the assistant secretary, executive director, regional directors, and assistant regional directors of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), as well as the chair, executive director, regional directors, and assistant regional directors of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The administrator of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), general manager of the Philippine National Railways (PNR), and general manager of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) must also take public transport.
Officials are likewise required to submit weekly accomplishment reports with recommendations and action plans on how to improve public transportation.
Lopez, who rode a public bus along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and the MRT-3 during the Monday morning rush hour, also instructed the LTO and Philippine Coast Guard to deploy more traffic enforcers to support the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) personnel in managing traffic along the major thoroughfare.
He is also eyeing the issuance of franchises to public utility vehicles (PUVs) for deployment in areas with high passenger volume.
-jpv
