PLANNED JEEPNEY PHASEOUT

Jeepneys have been around for over so many years dominating each and every street in the Philippines. Jeepneys have also played a vital role in the Philippine culture, for the longest period of time it has been hailed as a figure of Filipino people, for it is the face of creativity and resilience.

But modernization of Philippine public transport system is going to put an end to Jeepney’s part of the Philippine culture anytime soon. Former President Benigno Simeon Aquino put a head start to this modernization when he amended the Public Utility Jeepney Modernization Program of Department of Transport and Communication (DOTC).

According to DOTC, it is ensuring the road worthiness of jeepneys as a response to the worsening of global warming and climate change.

But according to research, they will only profit from it, and that the jeepney drivers and operators are no more than being victims of capital.

According to Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) that a single jeepney being sold by the government costs 1.2 million – 1.6 million pesos. And if they were to replace 400,000 jeepneys, who would benefit from it?

If we are to put in line road worthiness, it is a matter of government subsidy. The government could definitely help beautify the jeepneys, fix the ones in need of fixing, because not all of the jeepneys needs to be replaced by a new one.

The transportation sector has been one of the sectors directly affected by various taxes. From the tax in oil, road users tax, franchise tax, and etc.

Maybe it is time that the government help the transportation sector, most especially the jeepney drivers and operators, since not all of the jeepneys need to be replaced. The government should give the operators and drivers enough time to cope-up with the proposed modernization. And also, the jeepneys must not be phased out but instead be rehabilitated.

Jeepneys have been an icon of Filipino people, it is the most accessible transport system. Recent jeepney strikes proved how much operators and drivers played a vital role in Philippine economy – so much that they could paralyze the whole economy in just a day of strike.