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Friday, October 20, 2017
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GIVEN the sheer volume of passenger jeepneys across the country, phasing them out in one fell swoop would create adverse economic repercussions. A gradual phase-out would be better. But before we even get into that, there must be serious public discussion on the Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) Modernization Program – supposedly as a measure to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Under the program, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board shall conduct an inventory. Jeepneys that have reached the mandatory 15-year old age limit are required to be replaced with the prescribed “modernized” jeepney units (i.e. electronic, hybrid, LPG-powered jeepneys or jeepneys that have Euro-4 compliant engines), which would cost about P 1 million per unit – a plan that would effectively bury our small jeepney operators in debt. The plan of tapping the Development Bank of the Philippines to provide loans to operators is not reassuring enough as it does not guarantee the immediate loan approval since its availment will be determined by an operator’s capacity to pay.
Also, PUJ operators would be forced to subject their respective units under a Fleet Management Program (FMP), which shall be governed and controlled by private fleet management companies. Under the FMP, PUJ operators are effectively forced to surrender the management of their jeepneys to a fleet management corporation, which shall then determine the operations (route, schedule, driver, maintenance) of its managed units.
And so the question must be asked: Is this really a modernization program or simply a corporate takeover of the PUJ sector? Not a few have expressed concern that this scheme would not only result to massive loss of livelihood of transport workers, but would also severely affect the public since PUJ is still the most availed of public transport system in the absence of an alternative reliable and cheap public mass transportation system.
This phase-out policy comes amid the glaring fact that past previous administrations wasted and corrupted millions, if not billions, poured by the country’s jeepney drivers and operators for the realization of a national and comprehensive motor vehicle inspection and maintenance system by paying the mandatory fees for Motor Vehicle Users’ Charge and the motor vehicle inspection system.
Come to think of it, if the goal is to modernize the public transport system, is obligating operators to replace their current owned models with new ones the answer? If the government is committed to providing a modern and better public transport, isn’t it more feasible to instead subsidize engine maintenance and/or rehabilitation of these aged units, as well as local assemblers?
PUJ operators and drivers argue that a vehicle’s roadworthiness and efficiency are not measured and determined by age but by its actual and current state. They have a point.
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