Transport group PISTON urges the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to rethink its plan to privatize the EDSA bus carousel next year, saying that privatization of public utilities does not guarantee efficiency, and in order to maximize private profits, often results in fare hikes.
“Hinihikayat namin si Sec. Bautista na pag-isipan ito nang mabuti,” said Mody Floranda, PISTON national president. “Ano ang garantiya ng mga negosyante na magsisilbi sila sa interes ng publiko kung ang interes ng publiko ay abot-kaya at mabisang serbisyo?”
According to the group, the current mass transport crisis in Metro Manila is a symptom of the government’s overwhelming reliance on the private sector. Major solutions and improvements in mass transport can only be done with responsible government ownership of public utilities.
“Alam naman nating ang interes ng pribadong sektor ay kung paano magpapalaki ng kita habang pinababa ang gastos nila sa operasyon at pasahod sa kanilang manggagawa. Kaya kapag ipinasa sa mga malalaking negosyante ang dapat ay public service gaya ng EDSA Carousel, asahan nating tataas din ang pamasahe. Lalong magiging kawawa ang ating mga komyuter,” said Floranda.
The group also said that what the public needs is more government support and subsidy on services. So instead of giving up the EDSA Carousel to the private sector, there should be greater subsidies on social services like the Libreng Sakay program across different modes of mass public transit.
Moreover, instead of relying on private investments, the national government should implement a more progressive tax system giving stress on higher income and real estate taxes on the wealthiest families and increasing corporate taxes on large corporations in order to fund and subsidize essential public utilities.
“Sa panahon ng sobrang taas ng presyo ng bilihin pero nananatiling mababa ang sahod ng ating mga kababayan, lalong pahirap kung tataas din ang pamasahe dahil pagkakakitaan na ng mga negosyante ang public transport imbis na ginagampanan dapat ng gobyerno ang tungkulin nitong gawing abot-kaya ang mga serbisyo publiko,” added Floranda.