PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III assured the reconstruction, redesigning and further improvement of the different roads in the country to prevent more road accidents in the future.
He made the statement after a passenger bus fell into a ravine in Benguet Wednesday morning, killing at least 41 people.
The President said he already talked to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson on the status of the different roads and highways in the country.
One measure being considered is ensuring that the fees collected from the Motor Vehicle Users' Charge (MVUC) are used to improve the roads and highways.
"Iyung Road Users Board ay pupunta sa mga proyektong mag-e-enhance ng safety ng mga kalsadang natin. Kung kailangang reconstruct, redesign," he said.
He said the problem is that the different roads systems are operated by different branches of government, citing the national roads are supervised by the National Government while those considered as provincial roads, municipal roads, even barangay roads, are operated and maintained by the local government units.
He said the interconnections between these roads are sometimes uneven and poor in design which contributes to road safety hazards.
Aquino cites as example the multi-lane national highways which suddenly becomes two-lane provincial roads without prior warning to motorists that pass.
Refund to tollway developers
Meanwhile, the President also said he will ask Congress to allow the appropriation of funding to pay government dues to the Malaysian investors that developed the Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
Aquino, in a press conference in MalacaƱang, said the SLEX issue is "very complicated".
The government primary delimma is where to get the funds to pay the Malaysian firm MTD Capital Berhad and the South Luzon Tollways Corp. (SLTC) that extended and developed tollway project.
"Iyung partnership was between Philippine National Construction Company and the Malaysian firm. We must go back to Congress, we ask for authority to pay for a portion of what is due to the Malaysian developers," he said.
He added that by doing this, the 250 percent toll hike being sought by SLTC could be reduced.
The earnings of PNCC had been on hold since 2007, and had been placed at the Treasury since then, after the agency failed to renew its franchise.
"I'm awaiting the final recommendations of the Secretary of Finance. Once there, you need an act of Congress to appropriate it," Aquino noted. (JMR/Sunnex)