ONE OF THE most high profile Cabinet members these days is Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon who goes on surprise inspections of ongoing transportation infra projects and monitoring those already operating lands the newspapers and other media frequently.
Naturally, public transportation and traffic are the main concerns of business and ordinary commuters, both important to the country’s progress.
Dizon explains that his marching order from President Marcos is to fasttrack all major infrastructure projects until they exit in 2028.
Dizon had been successful during President Duterte as presidential adviser for Flagships programs and projects with Clark, but let’s see if he could get even half of what he has committed to do in exactly three years.
‘On May 1, Dizon said the DOTr is accelerating big-ticket transport infra while pushing for high-capacity mass transport systems to save commuters’ time and boost their productivity.’
UNJUSTIFIED DELAYS
It’s good that Vince Dizon terminated the contractor of the long-delayed Common Station project in EDSA, which had excessive and unjustified delays. He alsp removed BF Corporation and Foresight Development and Surveying Company (BFC-FDSC), a company that was founded and flourished during the late Bayani Fernando, who chaired the Metro Manila Development Authority and former mayor of Marikina City.
He discontinued the contract following the President’s order to fasttrack major transport infra projects. “We can finally move forward and accelerate construction so commuters can benefit from this crucial project.”
Launched in 2009, the Common Station project was designed to connect the LRT-1, MRT-3 and the MRT-7 lines (currently under construction) to reduce travel time and improve the convenience for MM commuters. The construction has been idle for over a year under the consortium’s watch.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) plans to restart construction soon through the New Government Procurement Act or the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code to ensure faster delivery.
BIG-TICKET PROJECTS
On May 1, Dizon said the DOTr is accelerating big-ticket transport infra while pushing for high-capacity mass transport systems to save commuters’ time and boost their productivity.
His commitment: “building high-capacity mass transit, building more walkways for people to walk and bike, which is the way to go.”
Included here are the Metro Manila Subway Project, North-South Commuter Railway System, EDSA Busway modernization and MRT-7– all of them investment-intensive undertakings.
Dizon disputes the solution of building more and wider roads. “The solution lies in building high-capacity infrastructures for commuters.”
Once the 33-km subway and Manila-Pampanga train system (crossing 8 LGUs in MM and passing through three central business districts) are completed, the four-hour commute from Pampanga and Bulacan to Metro Manila and vice versa will be reduced to 30 minutes to an hour.
The DOTr earlier said the MMSP is on track to become fully operational by the end of 2029. The subway interconnects LRT-1, MRT-3 and MRT-7 at the Common Station, LRT-2 at Anonas Station and a physical run through into the NSCR-EX at FTI and Bicutan Stations.
The P488.5-billion project is also expected to serve around 370,000 passengers a day in its first year of full operations, with capacity to serve up to 1 million passengers a day in later years.
The project aims to reduce travel time between Clark, Pampanga and Calamba, Laguna to just two hours and service over 800,000 passengers daily once operational.
GAME CHANGER
The North South Commuter Railway, is a mega railway network spanning 148 km. with 37 stations and 464 train cars and encompassing three segments―the PNR Clark Phase 1 (Tutuban-Malolos), PNR Clark Phase 2 (Malolos-Clark) and PNR Calamba (Solis-Calamba). It traverses 26 cities and municipalities in Central Luzon, the National Capital Region and Calabarzon. It aims to serve over 800,000 passengers daily once it becomes fully operational.
“This is game changing in the amount of savings, amount of quality time spent with family, and the amount of productivity that we can gain from all of these transportation projects, so we have to finish them,” he said.
Dizon said the thrust is to make commuting convenient and comfortable for commuters and encourage car owners to use public transportation.