Group laments NEP cut for active transport and PUV modernization

By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

THE Move As One Coalition asked the government on Tuesday to “accord pedestrians and cyclists the highest priority in the hierarchy of road users” by providing adequate budget for the development of the active transport sector.

A ccording to Robert Siy Jr., transport economist and co-convenor of the Move As One Coalition, the 2024 proposed national budget should “fulfill” the needs of the 94 percent of Filipinos who do not own private vehicles.

H e said the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) “disregards” this sector, after its allocation was apparently cut.

T his, according to Siy, “will expose pedestrians and cyclists to the risk of injury or death due to a road crash.”

In the 2024 NEP, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies proposed P214.3 billion, more than double versus last year’s budget of P106 billion.

H owever, Siy said the budgets for active transport and PUV modernization—road sector programs that are crucial for filling the immense shortages in transport supply until 2030—“were slashed.”

“We are extremely disappointed at the NEP approved by the President. The UniTeam promised during the campaign that it would incorporate bike lanes into roads if elected.

Despite the budget increase, the bulk of the DOTr budget will be spent mainly on two foreignassisted rail projects; while railways are part of the solution, they will still take many years before daily commuters can benefit from them. The Filipino public grapples with a transport crisis now, and the Coalition has said as much in every possible consultation on the proposed budget,” he said.

Citing the results of a review conducted by the collation, Siy said the budget for active transport infrastructure, such as bike lanes and better pedestrian walkways, was cut to P500 million in the 2024 NEP from a high of