House Deputy Minority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera on Monday called on fellow lawmakers to pass a bill creating a single and unified regulatory body for the country’s railway industry. Herrera said the fragmented regulatory functions for railways needs to be addressed immediately. He also said the lack of a single regulatory body has resulted in inconsistencies in policies and standards in different railway operations, to the dissatisfaction of the riding public. Under House Bill (HB) 8510 she filed on June 1, Herrera pushed for the establishment of the Railways Industry Authority of the Philippines (RIAP), along with the definition of its powers, functions and structures. ‘The body to be created would be responsible for the regulations within the Philippine Railway Industry and will help promote the efficient and effective management of the national railway system,’ she said. Under Herrera’s bill, RIAP will serve as the central railway industry regulation authority of the government to address ‘the need to rationalize and streamline the regulatory functions over railways.’ It shall be an attached agency of the Department of Transportation for purposes of policy and program coordination but shall independently be governed by its Rail Industry Board, and operated and managed by its own set of administrative officials and personnel. The RIAP shall have the power to issue and revoke certification to those intending to participate in the railway industry, from planning and project development, construction and implementation, testing, commissioning and handover, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning and disposal. Herrera said RIAP shall be mandated to administer, impose, and implement railway-related regulatory requisites under pertinent statutes; and formulate prescribe, and enforce unified metrics and key performance indicators to entities involved in the railway industry
Source: Philippines News Agency