DAVAO CITY – The non-passage of the PHP3.757-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) in Congress has affected the full implementation of the city’s High Priority Bus System (HPBS).
Mayor Sara Z. Duterte said the HPBS–a top priority project of her administration–is the lone project sought by the city government for national funding.
“Kung dili mapasa ang GAA (General Appropriations Act), walay kwarta (If the GAA is not passed, then we don’t have money),” Mayor Sara told reporters on Monday.
While the project is partially funded by the Department of Transportation (DoTr), the mayor said the agency can only fund the implementation of sample routes.
“So, we have to look for other sources para mabuhat ang project (So we have to look for other sources so that we can implement the project),” she added.
The HPBS is part of the city’s traffic and transport master plan that envisions the establishment of interim bus routes leading to a comprehensive bus system in 2022.
The HPBS not only seeks to put modern city buses on the road but also paves the way for the future road infrastructure developments.
Under the HPBS project, jeepneys and tricycles will not be phased out as they will be used in feeder lines. Tricycles can ply in areas that cannot be served by jeepneys.
The project has been included under the major transport projects of the national government that will be funded by the Asian Development Bank and approved by the National Economic Development Authority. -PNA
