EDITORIAL - Jeepney modernization

With only 60 percent of jeepney operators nationwide having consolidated into cooperatives for their shift to next-generation jeepneys, the government has extended for a year the deadline for the phaseout of the traditional jeepneys.

The government must use the period to make the transition as least painful to the drivers and operators, many of whom are micro entrepreneurs owning just one or two jeepneys. They need assistance in forming cooperatives and running a profitable transport business, and ensuring the equitable distribution of earnings.

The shift from the current boundary system – blamed for traffic buildups as drivers’ daily take-home pay is based on the number of passengers they transport – to the more efficient service contracting must also be carried out in a way that will make those affected see it to be in their best interest.

Phasing out the traditional jeepney is an idea that has been kicked around for many years now. Inspired by the US military jeeps during World War II, the local version was slow to modernize. Instead the jeepneys came to be associated with inefficient and uncomfortable mass transport, dirty, environmentally unfriendly, and for many units, bad for ear health because of blaring music.

Yet the jeepney has also provided a cheap and widely accessible ride across the country. Its colorful body paint, considered garish by some and folk art by others, has become an iconic Philippine tourist draw. There are suggestions to apply the same artwork to the modern jeepneys.

The biggest reason for the resistance to the jeepney modernization program has remained unchanged: the price of the new versions. A traditional jeepney costs from P600,000 to P700,000. The price tag for a modern jeepney, from P1.6 million to P2.4 million, is considered too steep by operators even when they consolidate and pool their resources in a cooperative. The government may have to tweak the financial assistance program if it wants to speed up the full implementation.

Another area that deserves support is local jeepney manufacturing. Francisco Motors remains in operation and its owner has said the company is developing improved versions of the traditional jeepney, which can comply with specifications set under the modernization program.

The objectives of the program are laudable, and the public deserves efficient, clean and comfortable mass transport at affordable fares. Balancing the interests of the sectors affected is challenging, but with proper planning and implementation, the objectives can still be achieved.