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[av_heading heading=’JUST ANOTHER DAY | Phase out the jeepney!’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY LUIS BUENAFLOR JR.
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Monday, July 3, 2017
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IT’S INEVITABLE the jeepney will have to be phased out and it’s about time; the sooner the better for all of us pedestrians, commuters including the private vehicle owners, and most especially the jeepney drivers themselves.
As a means of mass public transport the jeepney is obsolete and has outlived its usefulness. It first came on the road sometime after 1945. It was just the end of World War 2 and there was a dire need for public transport. With a surplus of US Army jeeps and some Filipino ingenuity, the jeepney was born.
It soon became the so-called “king of the road” and the staple public transport in the archipelago.
The thing is, that was 72 years ago and as George Harrison said, “all things must pass.” We all evolve, so with our needs, and it is usually for the better while the jeepney got stuck in a time warp while the rest of the world changed.
The jeepney is as irrelevant and obsolete as the New People’s Army or NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines. Both had their time and relevance but those had come to pass.
Ironically, it is the issue of the phaseout of jeepneys that the so-called progressive and leftist organizations use to make noise so they can be relevant.
What would have happened if we do not change with the times? The calesa would still be the staple mode of public transport, telegrams and dialup analogue telephones would still be the means used to communicate.
The jeepney has outlived its usefulness. It is not an effective means of mass public transport anymore. To transport 100 commuters you need five jeepneys and you’re wondering why we have traffic?
The jeepney is not environment-friendly. It uses an antiquated engine which is a major cause of pollution, plus it has a huge carbon footprint contributing to global warming.
It is also not commuter-friendly as it is not comfortable. It was designed without the welfare of the passengers/commuters in mind. On top of that most drivers also have that mentality; all they want is to load as much passengers they can squeeze in with nary a thought on their comfort.
Here are some excerpts from a PhilStar Global report:
“MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will sign within the month the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines which will serve as the framework for the modernization of jeepneys.
“DOTr secretary Arthur Tugade said during the 3rd National Congress for the Transport Cooperative Sector that the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines will be signed by June 19.
“The modernization program seeks to phase out old and dilapidated jeepneys.
“The government is pushing for the modernization of the country’s jeepneys in order to ensure the safety of public transportation.
“It is of the view that removal of old and dilapidated vehicles from the streets will help prevent accidents.
“Earlier, the DOTr, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of Finance (DOF) and Land Bank of the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a financing program for jeepney modernization. 
“The MOU was signed by Tugade, LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra, DOF secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Landbank president Alex Buenaventura.
“Through the financing program, a loan facility will be set up to provide credit to individual drivers and operators to replace old jeepney units in line with the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
“With an initial budget of P1 billion, the financing program will be used for individual loans to be given to 650 public utility jeepney operators or drivers in Metro Manila.
“The loan will enable operators or drivers to avail of a jeepney with a minimum requirement of Euro-4 engine or better.”
And from CNN:
“Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 19) — The public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program will take place in a month’s time, despite objections from some jeepney operators.
“Under the modernization program, PUVs more than 15 years old will be banned from the road, and will be replaced by vehicles with “low-carbon and low-emission technology. Previously, the department also cited jeepneys as the “biggest source” of carbon dioxide emission.”
The jeepney has a quaint and romantic history like the calesa and it belongs to the museum and memories of a bygone era and not the road.
It only looks good in a tourism poster. Sadly in its original design like the ones plying the streets, the jeepney is not even useful as a vehicle to take tourist around unless they redesign the sitting arrangement; you’ll just strain your neck trying to look out the windows.
The jeepney is like a failed relationship. You’ve had your fun and when the time comes to let go, move on and change for the better. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
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