The Green and Red Lights

The green light for the jeepney phase-out put its implementation on a go after almost five years of
back-and-forths, but the public is at odds with whether this change in the transportation system is equal to
the effective, sustainable and justifiable improvement in the everyday lives of the people involved. In an
article by Roces (2023) titled The Jeepney Phase-out Explained, the public utility vehicles (PUV)
modernization program and the reasons for the opposing takes of the drivers were carefully discussed to
supply readers with critical information for the benefit of awareness and involvement in the issue. Indeed,
the royal traditional jeepneys on public roads were carved into the cultural identity of the Filipino nation,
yet they also caused a lot of problems concerning economic, health, and environmental contexts. Roces
(2023) pointed out that the modernization itself is tied with reorganizing the routes of the vehicles, in
addition to standardized franchising, policies, and systems which are all directed at alleviating commuters'
struggles and enhancing various sectors of society directly and indirectly affected by the PUVs. However,
the integration of the PUV modernization program may mean a fall to the drivers belonging to the
marginalized sector because of the implications that the change may bring to their capacity to provide for
their families. If they can’t afford to keep up with the requirements of the government even after years of
communication and coordination, it may mean that while the goal is admirable, the process is broken and
inconsiderate - two indicators that call for the appraisal for rather inclusive and equitable solutions.

Road accidents, poor maintenance of machinery, cause of traffic congestion, and the least
recompensation to passengers were the negative consequences of PUVs identified by Roces (2023) that
the modernization project looks forward to addressing. Forming a franchise is also seen as an organized
way of systematizing the routes of these jeepneys, requiring the drivers to form a cooperative with at least
15 units of modern e-jeeps registered under the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
(LTFRB). As compensation, the government also prepared a financing package that provides the drivers
with a P80,000 subsidy per unit of availing of modern PUVs by the drivers, while the franchise needs to
pay the units for seven years with six percent interest per year (Roces, 2023). The boundary system is
also one factor that the program intends to intervene with, as the government excluded this from the plan,
replacing it with salaries so that there will be fixed income for the drivers regardless of the turnout of their
trips (Roces, 2023). These intentions appear promising on the part of all stakeholders because of the
prospective reduction in traffic jams, injuries, and a rather more comfortable ride for the passengers, but
to look at it deeply means to understand the other side of the story that impairs the project’s opportunities:
the high cost of unit purchase and the possible lack of PUV to accommodate commuters (Business
Mirror, 2022).
Even though the intentions of the modernization program are pure and beneficial, weighing its
pros and cons will give the government baseline information about which provisions of the proposed
project should be reevaluated for efficiency. This era demands a high time for upgrades, and it is
something that the jeepney drivers were misconstrued for. It is not that they do not want this change - it is
the steep costs draining them of financial resources that they have no choice but to be against the idea
(Punongbayan, 2023). To expect a person to produce at least P1.3 million in seven years with average
earnings of around P1,000 per day is like asking for a miracle to take place, given the unstable economic
crisis and downfalls that the nation is facing these days. The formation of cooperatives is costly too, as it
mandates the members to produce P20,000 to P40,000 before they can register as a franchise
(Punongbayan, 2023). It seems like the government forgot about how the pandemic took a toll on PUV
drivers which led to the point that some of them had to beg for food and money from the public (Rosario,
2021). If the abrupt phase-out of jeepneys is to be pursued given the still insufficient number of
modernized PUVs, the commuters will suffer alongside the drivers (Pontawe and Napalang, 2018). It is
not impossible to reach that point of undignifying circumstances wherein jeepney drivers are to roam the
streets begging for financial assistance once more after the government decides to pull out all traditional
jeepneys. Lost conscience should not be the price of societal growth and development.

While the expected outcomes of the PUV modernization is a road for a better Philippines, it still is
a rigorous, bumpy one. If it fails to protect the vulnerable population from unrealistic leverage and
exploitation, then it will never be the sustainable solution that caters to the masses. It only serves the
capable members of the social strata. As a recommendation, the government must pursue alternative
solutions that will provide drivers with security despite plans to modernize PUVs, as this is the only way to
positively impact the economic standing of the country. Forceful integration of this program may cause
more risks than benefits as loss of job opportunities means a consecutive effect on the poverty rate and
hunger for the marginalized sector. What the government must do is pause in the red light for now… as
while advancement is on the line, lives are at stake.

References:

Business Mirror. (2023). Analyzing the Jeepney Phaseout and Its Pros and Cons.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2022/08/30/jeepney-modernization-pros-and-cons/
Pontawe, J., & Napalang, M. S. (2018). Examining the Potential Significance of Industry Consolidation
and Fleet Management in Implementing the DOTr’s PUV Modernization Program: A Case Study
of 1TEAM. Philippine Transportation Journal, 1(2), 47-58. https://ncts.upd.edu.ph/tssp/wp-
content/uploads/2018/08/Pontawe18.pdf
Punongbaya, J.C. (2023, March 10). [ANALYSIS] The economics of jeepney modernization. Rappler.
https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-economics-jeepney-modernization-
program/
Rosario, J.A. (2021, September 28). Pandemic-hit transport workers struggle to make both ends meet.
Philstar Global. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/09/28/2130316/pandemic-hit-transport-
workers-struggle-make-both-ends-meet