Duterte’s jeepney modernization deadline only ‘an expression of urgency’—LTFRB

Land of Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Martin Delgra said on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadline for drivers and operators to modernize their old jeepney units by January 1 was only his “expression of urgency.” (Photo: LTFRB Citizen Enforcer/Facebook)

Land of Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Martin Delgra said on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadline for drivers and operators to modernize their old jeepney units by January 1 was only his “expression of urgency.”

During the LTFRB and Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) briefing at the House of Representatives, Delgra stressed that the President was not precisely giving a definite date on when drivers and operators should phase out their old units.

“I’d like to put this in context insofar as the way I understand the President, he has spoken firmly, or if I may say strongly, in favor of the modernization program. That’s how I understand it, the expression of a date is an expression of urgency insofar as having to push this as firmly as we can,” Delgra said.

Present in the hearing were transportation officials and transport groups, including Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston), who recently staged a two-day transport strike to protest the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

In his recent speech, Duterte told drivers and operators to comply with the January 1 deadline and threatened them with arrest if they don’t.

“Sumunod kayo kasi January 1 [2018], kapag may makita ako diyang mga jeep ninyo na hindi narehistro, luma, guguyurin ko ‘yan sa harap niyo [Comply because by January 1 (2018), if I see old, unregistered jeepneys, I will have it towed in front of you],” he said.

“Mahirap kayo? P****i** magtiis kayo sa hirap at gutom, wala akong pakialam. It’s the majority of Filipinos. Huwag ninyong ipasubo ang tao [Are you poor? Son of b*** suffer from poverty and hunger, I don’t care. It’s the majority of Filipinos. Don’t ever harm the people],” Duterte added.

Piston conducted two-day nationwide strike on Monday and Tuesday in protest of the modernization program which will replace jeepney units of 15 years and above with “eco-friendly” jeepneys.

When asked by the DOTr about their motives in conducting the strike, Piston president George San Mateo said they are fighting for drivers’ and operators’ livelihood as the new version of modernization scheme would lead to loss of jobs.

Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice, for his part, questioned the LTFRB’s timeline for the scheme after the Chief Executive issued a set of terms.

“The President said there will be no more jeepneys so that will be your deadline, isn’t it? It’s the policy that by January, no more jeepneys. It’s the President himself who said that on national televsion,” he asked.

Erice added that this kind of pronouncement, without the agency giving a time frame, would cause alarm among jeepney drivers.

In a hearing of the House Committee on Transportation, Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark De Leon said that the government is still conducting route rationalization studies as part of modernization scheme.

De Leon said that these studies need to be done before the actual modernization and replacement of old public utility vehicles.

“What we have now is we have oversupply in some portions, an oversupply of units,” he said.

According to De Leon, studies are already in progress in Metro Manila in collaboration with experts from University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. Studies in Cebu and in Davao are also underway, in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Asian Development, respectively.

Meanwhile, Delgra said that he and other transportation officials were reminded by the President on Wednesday night to push through with the modernization program.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement earlier that the administration remains committed to the PUV modernization program which is “long overdue.”

“The government, through the LTFRB, will continue with the discussions, consultations, and further collaboration with members of the public transport sector, particularly in explaining the financial scheme available to PUJ operators and drivers who wish to avail of new units through financing of government financial institutions,” Abella ended.