Aspiring Davao City mayor Karlo Nograles said improving public transportation access for students will be among his first priorities once he gets elected in 2025.
Nograles posted his thoughts about this issue on social media on Sunday, acknowledging the struggles of students who couldn’t find a ride home after school hours.
The former Civil Service Commission (CSC) chairperson observed many students could be seen in the evening around various colleges and universities waiting to get a ride home.
He learned that fewer jeeps are plying routes once they reached their boundaries in the afternoon and early evening, which also coincide with the dismissal of classes of the students.
Nograles said he would implement a transport system that would ease the students daily commute, especially after school hours.
“The lines get long by the late afternoon towards evening because there are fewer jeeps on the road. The students suffer because of it,” Nograles said on his Facebook page.
He said this has been a daily burden on students, which needs to be addressed immediately.
The three-time former member of the House of Representatives noted that Davao City is home to some 50 universities and colleges, not to mention numerous high schools.
There are around 420,000 students enrolled this year in Davao City, the biggest in the entire Davao Region.
“Out of that figure, let’s just say a very conservative [number] of 10,000 tertiary level student commuters face day-to-day mobility problems during the most vulnerable times safety and security wise,” Nograles said.
“We can provide solutions to this problem. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We just need to bring it to Davao City,” according to the aspiring mayor.
Nograles said he plans to emulate successful public transport programs in other cities as a start. He is also thinking of purchasing mini-buses to subsidize the transportation fares of students.
“We can organize the routes based on time and motion studies prioritizing areas where there is a concentration of educational institutions,” the lawyer added.
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