DOTr drawing up 30-year public transport master plan

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is formulating a 30-year holistic public transport master plan to improve the movement of passengers and cargo.

The government agency has already requested consulting service proposals from private firms, who are given until Dec. 20 to express their interest.

The funding for this project, Philippine Transport System Master Plan (2025-2055), will be coming from the $44-million financing it applied for from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

“With the increasing demand for transport services, it is imperative that the government ensure that transport projects are strategically built and operated to complement each other within an interconnected network of multimodal systems,” according to the project’s terms of reference.

In a multimodal system, several modes of transport are available, like railways built with bus and jeepney terminals, for seamless transfers when commuting.

The DOTr stressed the need for the country to “move toward an adequate, reliable, sustainable, resilient and efficient multimodal transport network.”

“This calls for the provision of a technically sound, economically justified, financially and environmentally sustainable infrastructure, which can only be attained when there is a robust planning system in place,” it added.

The goal is also to build a framework that local governments and other stakeholders can refer to when developing transport projects.

The chosen consultant will be responsible for crafting project timelines, budgets and deliverables to realize the masterplan.

The consultant will also be tasked with assessing the current transport infrastructure and enhancement projects covering roads, railways, maritime and air transport.

“The final output is envisioned to be a transportation infrastructure investment program for the country aligned with its sustainable development goals,” the DOTr said. INQ