Davao del Sur and its component city of Digos are the first to equip themselves with modern public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the Region 11.

This came as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Davao Region (LTFRB-11) launched Monday seven PUV units owned by RB Transport Corporation and Mindanao Transportation Service Cooperative in Digos City.

“We are making history here. These new modern PUVs improve the situation of our roads as we become more efficient in our public transportation,” LTFRB-11 Director Nonito Llanos III said during the launching ceremony.

For his part, lawyer Herbert Gonzales, Davao del Sur Provincial Administrator, cited the importance of providing the safest possible mobility for commuters.

“This is something new, but in every birth of something good, there are adjustments, transition, there are birth pains. We would like to engage each other to welcome this development as it will be less painful for us,” Gonzales said.

The modern PUV launching in Davao del Sur is in line with the mandate of the Department of Transportation issued Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

PUVMP is a flagship program of the Duterte administration aimed at transforming the public transportation industry. It features a regulatory reform and sets new guidelines for the issuance of franchises for road-based public transport services.

Initially, the seven new modern PUVs will follow a Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) in Davao del Sur and Digos City, with the two areas given six and four approved routes, respectively, after a series of selections and approvals.

In Davao del Sur, the routes are: Zone III, Digos City-Inawayan, Sta. Cruz route loop and Zone III, Digos City-Upper Bala, and the Magsaysay loop.

In Digos City, the routes include the Barangay Sinawilan-Central Terminal via Super Highway loop, and Central Business District-Aplaya Bus Terminal loop via Barangay Tres de Mayo. (PNA)