MANILA — With the appointment of a new Department of Transportation (DOTr) chief, transport group Manibela said it hoped to restart the dialogue with the government about the jeepney modernization program.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena said incoming DOTr chief Vince Dizon should first suspend the implementation of the program and restore the franchises of unconsolidated jeepney operators.

“Para matalakay at maupuan yung tungkol dito sa mga guidelines katulad ng financing, and then yung model ng unit na kukuhanin… Yung totoong jeepney dapat ang manaig dito sa atin, at hindi inaangkat yung mga minibus na galing sa China,” Valbuena said Thursday.

Valbuena said the experience of some transport cooperatives and corporations was proof that the program should not continue the way it is currently being implemented.

“Marami na ang na-bankrupt na mga kooperatiba at marami na ang hindi tumatakbo na units na alam naman nating madaling masira,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, a commuter group said it was cautiously optimistic that Dizon could help solve the transportation crisis in the Philippines. 

“We urge the new leadership to prioritize meaningful reforms that move beyond car-centric policies and deliver real solutions to our ongoing transportation crisis,” said The Passenger Forum Convenor Primo Morillo.