Transport modernization, cycling to reduce public dependence on oil, says JV Ejercito
August 07, 2023
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday
said modernizing the country’s mass transit system and promoting cycling and
other active transport options can unburden commuters amidst increasingly
frequent spikes in the price of crude oil.
A staunch advocate of transportation
modernization, Ejercito said he is confident that completing the country’s
railway systems will significantly reduce the cost of moving around its urban
centers.
“Matagal ko nang tinutulak yung transportation
modernization. Although may ilang taon pa ang mga ‘to, tingin ko, ito talaga
ang makakatulong sa’tin. Pag nag-online na yung mga railway systems natin,
malaki ang maitutulong niyan kasi siyempre, mas mura ang cost of transportation
sa tren,” he said in an interview.
During the Senate’s deliberations on the 2023
national budget, Ejercito successfully secured additional funding for the
North-South Commuter Railway Project and the Metro Manila Subway Project.
Moreover, the lawmaker from San Juan said the
emergence of other “environmentally friendly” and “cost-efficient” modes of
transportation, such as electric vehicles, should now be considered in the
country’s infrastructure programs.
“Itong mga electric vehicles, pumapasok na
rin. Maganda ang tax break na binibigay sa electric vehicles so, at least,
hindi mo na kailangang problema ang gasolina,” Ejercito said.
“Kailangan damihan pa yung mga charging
stations. Sa Metro Manila, may mga charging station. Ang problema, pag lumuwas
ka na sa probinsya,” he added.
Shortly after his reelection to the Senate,
Ejercito filed Senate Bill No. 158, which seeks to create and institutionalize
a comprehensive infrastructure development master plan.
The plan would cover several areas of development,
such as transportation and logistics, energy, water resources, information and
communications technology, social infrastructure, agri-fisheries modernization
and food logistics, and asset preservation and maintenance strategies.
