CDO transport groups push modernization amid route review – pna.gov.ph
By Ercel Maandig
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A fleet of modern public utility vehicles owned by a transport cooperative in Cagayan de Oro City. (File photo courtesy of Allan Eculla)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Transport leaders in Northern Mindanao reaffirmed their commitment to the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program on Wednesday, even as local officials extended their review of proposed new routes for upgraded jeepneys.
Luzminda Escobidal, president of the Northern Mindanao Federation of Transport Cooperatives, told reporters that 42 transport cooperatives have already begun transitioning to modern vehicles despite the delayed implementation of Cagayan de Oro’s Local Public Transport Route Plan.
“Our members recognize this program’s long-term benefits for both operators and passengers,” Escobidal said, noting that 72 percent of the region’s transport groups support the initiative.
The city’s Roads and Traffic Administration chief Nonito Oclarit explained the ongoing delay stems from the need to carefully evaluate 12 high-traffic corridors in the urban center.
“With vehicle numbers growing 18 percent annually and limited road space, we must ensure these routes won’t create new congestion points,” Oclarit said.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board had approved the route plan last month, but local implementation awaits final traffic flow studies expected by late April.
The modernization program, which could generate 2,300 new jobs in vehicle manufacturing and maintenance, forms part of broader efforts to reduce transport sector emissions by 40 percent while improving passenger safety standards.
Approximately 3,800 jeepneys and 28,000 transport workers across Northern Mindanao will be affected by the transition. (PNA)
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