Transport Group Disputes Edsa Carousel Privatization

The government is looking into possibly extending the Libreng Sakay program to 2023 and has issued a statement that clarifies the previous announcement of the free rides of the EDSA Carousel.

The DOTr has mentioned that “Ang pagtatapos ng nasabing programa ay dahil ubos na ang pondong nakalaan dito sa ilalim ng 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA) na P7 billion, gayundin ang idinagdag na P1.4 billion ng Department of Budget and Management noong Agosto 16, 2022,”

Meanwhile, 30 private groups have released a joint statement asking the government to privatize the EDSA Carousel as soon as possible, mentioning that the public-private partnership can turn the busway to international standards.

On the other hand, transport group PISTON is disputing the privatization route of the government.

The transport group released a press statement saying that EDSA Carousel’s privatization does not guarantee more efficient and can even possibly mean an increase in fares since private groups would want to maximize profits.

“Hinihikayat namin si Secretary Bautista na pag-isipan ito nang mabuti. Ano ang garantiya ng mga negosyante na magsisilbi sila sa interes ng publiko kung ang interes ng publiko ay abot-kaya at mabisang serbisyo?” mentioned PISTON National President Mody Floranda in a statement.

According to PISTON, the transportation crisis is due to overreliance on the private sector and is asking the government for more subsidies and support for the services, while highlighting that essential public utilities should be funded with a progressive tax system instead of relying on private investments.

Source: Rappler