The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday clarified that Davao City is not exempted from the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP) and is running a separate yet complementary program.
In a statement, the DOTr said the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (Davao Bus) is an expanded version of the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) Busway and involves establishing dedicated bus lanes, depots and terminals over a route network of 672 kilometers.
“The Davao Bus project will utilize modern buses that have complied with the PUVMP,” it said.
The DOTr made the clarification amid reports that PUVMP would not affect the Davao City jeepneys.
Funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Davao Bus project has nine routes that will connect to key areas in Davao City, Panabo City, and Davao del Norte.
“The project will create an intelligent transport system using environment-friendly buses and modernized PUVs with standardized operations and reliable bus schedules,” it said.
Earlier, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)–Davao Chief Transportation Development Officer Ernest Benz Davila said Davao City is covered by the Davao Bus project that will replace aging jeepneys with buses.
Meanwhile, Davila said the provisional authority granted to jeepneys in the city will remain valid until the deployment of buses under the modernization program. (PNA)
