EDITORIAL - Taking the challenge to modernize

Following approval by the Cebu City Council Transportation Office and the City Council, at least 40 world-class public utility vehicles (PUVs) have started plying the streets of the city yesterday with routes that will cater mostly to Business Process Outsourcing workers.

The modern PUVs will have two initial missionary routes. The first is from Cebu City Hall-I.T. Park via Robinsons Galleria Cebu-Cebu Business Park and vice-versa. The second is from R. Duterte Street-Sykes via Happy Valley-Fuente Osmeña-Ramos Street-D. Jakosalem Street-Cebu Business Park and vice-versa.

But the deployment of the new PUVs was met with opposition from some in the transport sector. PISTON-Cebu President Greg Perez earlier said at least 50 drivers will be affected by the modernization of jeepneys.

Such move has always been expected since PISTON and other transport groups nationwide have been opposed to the government’s jeepney modernization program, claiming that only big companies can benefit from it.

Whether Perez and company like it or not, the jeepney’s modernization will soon happen. And this program is not only meant to improve the image of the country’s public utility jeepney industry but to sustain its operations as well.

For decades, the PUJ has been an inseparable part of the Filipino life, becoming the king of our road. However, as it has become a major force in the transport business, the PUJ industry also failed miserably to adopt changes to attune to the modern times.

We have to admit that Filipinos’ continued reliance on PUJs stems from the fact that we have no other means of mass transportation. In fact, the government has yet to implement a new system. Even in Cebu, our officials are still debating what kind of modern transport system we should embrace.

The deployment of modern PUVs in Cebu City is a good sign that the local transport industry is beginning to take on the challenge to calls for its modernization.