EDITORIAL | Jeepney Phaseout: Forcible Abdication of the King of Philippine Roads

Just like a monarch, traditional jeepneys hailed as ‘the king of Philippine roads,’ are facing forced abdication as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) pursues the PUV Modernization Program despite the plea of drivers, operators, and commuters. 

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"No to Jeepney Phaseout!" are the words that can be seen and heard from each side of the road. Several days before the grace period for consolidation ends, transport strikes have become the weapon of our jeepney drivers and operators to bravely express their grievance, and to firmly stand against the oppression. Among their requests are the postponement of the deadline for consolidation, an amendment to some of the provisions of the Omnibus guidelines, and an extension of the traditional jeepney franchise to five years.

  Wayback 2017, the issue was brought forth after the release of the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) or the DOTr Department Order (DO) No. 2017-011. The program calls for modernizing all public utility vehicles and aims to make them environment-friendly and safer. However, LTFRB specifies that the program sets a 15-year age limit for jeepneys and unyielding requirements for drivers and operators, which may cause a total phaseout of the Philippines’ very own public vehicles.

  Last February, LTFRB gave a memorandum circular giving traditional jeepney drivers and operators until June 31, 2023, to consolidate by forming or joining a cooperative or corporation as a first step. If they were not able to do so, their franchise would be removed. But this was averted when the senate urged the department for consideration. As a response, LTFRB moved the deadline to December 31 this year. 

  Up to the present, LTFRB grips tightly onto the franchise removal should the jeepney drivers and operators fail to consolidate. The case is that transport groups find it difficult to form or join cooperatives because they doubt its custodianship. They also disagree that joining cooperatives will minimize the cost of compliance as modern jeepneys would cost up to P3 million when acquired through loans. To top that off, according to LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz, the subsidy for every driver/operator costs P180,000 only— which is surely inadequate and too good to be true.

  According to the data from the Department of Transportation, 70% or 28,000 jeepneys will be unable to travel by 2024. This equates to 64,000 drivers and 25,000 operators that will lose their livelihoods. In defense, LTFRB officers claim that there would be no phaseout after December 31, yet the deadline implies that there is. Moreover, the modernization will not only affect our jeepney drivers but also the Filipino masses who will no longer enjoy reasonably priced transportation, for transport groups estimate that fares will rise by P35-P40.

  Traditional jeepneys have symbolized life here in our country, as evidenced by their looks. The distinct designs and personalized texts reflect the Filipino-ness that depicts our interests and culture, covering religious views, and quotations of hope. The question is, will there ever be hope for LTFRB to understand our jeepney drivers and operators as well as to address their plight? 

  The government and LTFRB can modernize our jeepneys without subjecting our tsuper and operators to inhumane monetary demands and irrational qualifications. Transport groups even express their support for modernization only if it does not mean being indebted to corporations and eradicating traditional jeepneys. In the first place, if the government wanted to modernize our jeepneys, they should have allotted a budget and formed a plan to properly subsidize the affected parties. 

As they say, “Modern problems require modern solutions.” Why doesn’t LTFRB just go after jeepney rehabilitation instead of modernization? The rehabilitation will merely incur P950,000 for every driver/operator plus, it will not require jeepneys to transform into bus-like vehicles. In the end, these are the questions and concerns of the majority that LTFRB cannot answer. 

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Source:

Moya, R & Bautista, P. (2023, September 3). Jeepney modernization program: Drivers have a steep price to pay. PhilStar. www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/09/03/2293549/jeepney-modernization-program-drivers-have-steep-price-pay/amp/ 

Calderon, R. (2023, October 9). LTFRB wants the jeepney modernization subsidy increased to ₱250,000. CNN. https://www.cnnphilippines.com/transportation/2023/10/9/ltfrb-wants-jeepney-modernization-subsidy-increased.html

Recuenco, A. (2023, December 11).  Why Piston is holding another nationwide transport strike on Dec. 14 and 15. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/10/why-piston-is-holding-another-nationwide-transport-strike-on-dec-14-and-15

Senate of the Philippines. (2023, February 28). Senate asks LTFRB: Defer June 30 jeepney phaseout. https://legacy.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2023/0228_prib1.asp