SAFE TRAVEL. Commuters board a bus bound for Caloocan City at the Edsa Carousel Cubao stop in Quezon City on Aug. 13, 2023. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the DOTr has “resorted to seeking private sector support" due to the agency’s limited fiscal space. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)
MANILA – The private sector’s support will play a pivotal role in speeding up the completion of vital transport infrastructure projects, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Wednesday.
At the Stratbase ADR Institute Pilipinas Conference, Bautista said the DOTr has “resorted to seeking private sector support" due to the agency’s limited fiscal space.
“We need the cooperation of various stakeholders, including foreign and local business groups who have expressed keen interest in our highly investible transport projects,” he said.
Bautista said multi-sectoral projects are aimed toward providing a better travel experience for commuters.
“Our transport projects highlight the efforts of our government in pushing the infrastructure agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to expand its pipeline of flagship projects that will transform the transport landscape, while improving mobility and connectivity,” he added.
Bautista cited several big-ticket transportation projects, which he said would “shake the status quo” in the transport sector.
Among the projects include the privatization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan (NMIA) and the modernization of several airports in Bukidnon, Catbalogan, Dumaguete, Tacloban, Kalibo, Caticlan, Laguindingan, Siargao, Zamboanga, Masbate and Cotabato.
The ongoing construction of the North-South Commuter Railway, the Metro Manila Subway and the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 is also poised to improve mobility and connectivity.
Road transport is also given priority with the modernization of public utility vehicles, the EDSA Busway, the establishment of bicycle lanes nationwide and the EDSA Greenways project. (PNA)
