Groups warn of transport crisis, shortage of jeepneys

MANILA, Philippines — Groups yesterday warned of a shortage of public utility vehicles come July 1 when the franchises of traditional jeepneys expire to give way to the government’s PUV modernization program.

In a dzRH interview yesterday, Ariel Inton of the Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection warned of a “paralysis” of the transport sector on the first day of the PUV modernization program.

Inton noted that at least 50,000 traditional jeepneys, which have not complied with the consolidation requirements, would be phased out.

“It will worsen the already lacking number of public transport vehicles for commuters,” he said.

The suspension of the operations of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) that will affect 30,000 passengers will also be an additional burden to commuters, according to Inton.

The PNR will suspend operations for five years to fast-track the construction of the North-South Commuter Railway and help the government save P15 billion in land acquisition and relocation costs.

Inton urged the government to allow commuters to make a choice between air-conditioned and traditional jeepneys instead of phasing out the iconic Philippine jeepney look.

Lando Marquez, president of the Liga ng Transportasyon at mga Operators sa Pilipinas, defended the traditional jeepney make and vouched for its durability over the modern ones.

“We are appealing to the government not to allow the phaseout of the so-called ‘King of the Road,’ ” Marquez said in Filipino.

He expressed fears that come July 1, there will be a “war of Filipino against Filipino” by allowing imported vehicles to take over the road instead of retaining the traditional jeepneys.

Noting that the PUV modernization program was long due, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Body (LTFRB) allayed public fears of a shortage of vehicles.

It assured the public that there would be contingency measures in place to avert a transport crisis.

While 50,000 traditional jeepneys have yet to comply with the modernization program, the LTFRB said operators and drivers of 96,000 jeepneys have consolidated into corporations or cooperatives.

“That’s 61 percent of the 158,000 traditional jeepneys in the country,” the board said.

Transport groups had lamented that drivers’ cooperatives need to pay a monthly amortization of P475,000 for the operation of 10 to 15 modern jeepneys, which cost up to P2.7 million each.

The LTFRB said 72 percent or 19,000 units of UV Express nationwide have complied with the modernization requirements.

The board stood by the program meant to phase out old vehicles tagged as major pollutants, and to modernize the transport system at the expense of the traditional jeepneys.

The LTFRB had extended the validity of franchises of traditional jeepneys four times, and the June 30 deadline is supposed to be the last extension.