Ito ang mensahe ng Living Laudato Si Philippines sa Department of Transportation (DOTr) matapos ihayag ng kagawaran ang pagsusulong ng ‘Green Transport’ o malinis at sustainable na pamamaraan ng transportasyon.
Patuloy na isinusulong ng pamahalaan ang Jeepney Modernization Program na papalitan ang mga traditional jeepney ng mga Electric-Jeepneys (E-jeep) na maaring maging hudyat ng pagkawala ng kabuhayan ng maraming Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) drivers.
“It also involves improving accessibility, enhancing accompanying infrastructures such as roads and facilities, educating commuters and motorists about proper behavior on the road, and ensuring that everyone truly benefits from this transition and not just corporations who can afford electric vehicle fleets,”mensahe ni Rodne Galicha – Executive Director ng Living Laudato Si Philippines sa Radio Veritas.
Ayon kay Galicha, bagamat kinikilala ng grupo ang hakbang ng pamahalaan ay dapat maging makatarungan ang pamahalaan at isinaalalang-alang ang kabuhayan ng mga PUV drivers na maapektuhan ng pagbabago.
“The DOTr keeps praising the positives from the PUV Modernization Program, but what about the struggles of jeepney operators and drivers who simply cannot afford the installments they have to pay, let alone keep up with the extremely high oil prices? What about the reality that bicycle culture only took off in the Philippines because the pandemic severely limited the already-inefficient public transport system, especially in Metro Manila?” ayon pa sa mensahe ni Galicha
Inihayag rin ng Living Laudato Si ang kahandaan kasama ang iba pang relihiyisong grupo na tiyaking mayroong kabuhayan ang maraming manggagawa kapag ipatupad ang programa.
Unang pinahayag ng Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP) na mayorya ng may 60-libong miyembro ng samahan sa Metro Manila ang tumigil na sa pamamasada dahil sa napakataas na presyo ng gasolina.
