Press Release
As commuters brace for Sept 25-26 transport strike against jeepney phase out
AASENSO SOLON URGES DOTr TO PROPOSE PUV AMNESTY PROGRAM
House Committee on Transportation Member and AASENSO Party-list Representative Teodoro G. Montoro proposes an amnesty program for owners of colorum vehicles in which amnesty-covered vehicles shall be swapped for new electric and environment-friendly vehicles. Montoro supports the PUV modernization plan of the DOTr and is one of the authors of House Bill 6112 or Public Utility Vehicle Monitoring Act.
When the Department of Transportation (DOTr) proposes to Congress a detailed amnesty program for colorum jeepneys, buses, UV express, and taxis, I will support it in the form of a bill.
However such an amnesty program should attractive enough to entice even the critics of public utility vehicles (PUV) modernization.
The amnesty should have a provision that will require all operators of the colorum units to surrender the amnesty-covered vehicles to the government, which will replace all non-roadworthy vehicles with new electric vehicles, while all the roadworthy units will be turned over to state universities and colleges (SUCs) located in the provinces for their use as service vehicles to ferry students and faculty.
To illustrate, here is a hypothetical scenario:
Mang Nanding owns three (3) colorum vehicles – a UV express, a bus, and a jeepney. The UV express and bus are in Mang Nanding’s garage, while the jeepney is languishing in the impounding area and is already dilapidated.
Once the DOTr offers amnesty to owners of colorum vehicles, all Mang Nanding's vehicles can be surrendered to the government in exchange for brand-new electric vehicles which Mang Nanding will pay in easy-installment plans. He will need to pay only for the difference in price of the 3 amnesty-covered vehicles and the new electric vehicles.
The government will also not file charges and will not prosecute for the colorum violations. Mang Nanding can now legally use for his transport business his newly-acquired electric vehicles.
The UV express and the bus that are still roadworthy shall be acquired by the government and shall be donated to SUCs outside of metro-cities for their official use.
The jeepney that is already dilapidated shall be disposed as scrap metal and the proceeds of which shall go to the government coffers.
An amnesty program would be one effective way to remove tens of thousands of vehicles from the congested streets of Metro-Manila and other urban areas. It can also make urban air cleaner.
Turning over the roadworthy colorums to SUCs will address some of the access problems of students and faculty who travel long hours just to get to school.
This set of solutions hits three birds with one massive stone.
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