CEBU, Philippines — Traditional public utility jeepneys coming from the Cebu Province, including the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, will be allowed to enter Cebu City starting this week provided drivers test negative for COVID-19 using the RT-PCR test.
The units also need a special permit to operate from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-7 and certificate of road worthiness from the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-7.
“Yes starting this week, makasulod na sila sa Cebu City provided i-comply nila ang mga requirements, especially kanang negative results sa mga drivers sa RT-PCR testing,” said LTFRB-7 Director Eduardo Montealto, Jr.
Currently, there are 3,665 traditional jeepneys operating in Cebu Province and in the three highly-urbanized cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu.
Montealto said the bulk of the traditional PUJs are in Cebu Province. There are 309 units in Cebu City, 14 units in Mandaue, and several units (mostly multi-cabs) in Lapu-Lapu City.
Montealto said that, so far, there are 319 units of modernized jeepneys operating in the three urbanized cities, which is not enough to cater to the number of passengers as workers are now going back to work 100 percent.
“Kuwangon gyud ang atong modernized jeepneys kay ang mga workers karon 100 percent na man namalik og trabaho,” Montealto said.
(Our modernized jeepneys are not enough because workers have returned to work 100 percent.)
But Montealto emphasized that traditional jeepneys will have to be phased out eventually and will be replaced by modernized jeepneys.
He said he expects 4,000 units of modernized jeepneys to ply the streets this year.
“Ang kaning mga traditional jeepneys nga atong gi-allow mo-byahe, ang mga operators ani nila, nagpaabot pa sa approval sa ilang loan sa bangko for the purchase of modernized jeepneys. Mao na, inig-approve sa ilang loan, i-drop na na ilang franchise sa traditional jeepney aron mailisan og modernized jeepneys,” Montealto explained.
(The owners of these traditional jeepneys that we have allowed to continue operations are still waiting for the bank to approve their loan applications for the purchase of modernized jeepneys. Once their loan is approved, their franchise for traditional jeepney will be replaced with a franchise for modernized jeepneys.)
Montealto said 80 percent of the public utility jeepneys in Cebu are already consolidated in compliance with the Department of Transportation's Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
PUV operators that are members of transport cooperatives and corporations eligible to purchase modernized vehicles under the PUVMP are qualified for an equity subsidy in the fixed amount of P160,000 from the original P80,000.
Through the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Department Order 2020-006 signed on June 5, 2020, the equity subsidy was increased with the increase in price of modernized PUV units from P1.6 million to P2.4 million.
The equity subsidy is the financial loan provided by the Development Bank of the Philippines under the PUVMP to help PUV operators procure modernized units.
Under the said program, a five percent equity subsidy is provided for consolidated franchises that wish to purchase modernized units, with the remaining balance made with six percent interest, payable in seven years. — JMO (FREEMAN)