Euro 6-compliant jeeps to start plying Metro Manila roads soon

MANILA — Euro 6-compliant modern jeepneys will soon ply the streets of Metro Manila after a transport group expressed its plan to roll out at least 500 of these environment-friendly vehicles in the first half of 2020.

In an interview on Monday, Orlando Marquez, national president of the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators ng Pilipinas (LTOP), said the group is trying to convince its members and other transport groups to avail of the first commercially-available Euro 6-compliant public utility vehicles in the country.

“Una, matipid ka sa krudo, matipid ka sa gasolina. Pangalawa, wala kang pollution na binubuga, so wala kang binibili na gamot (First, it uses gas efficiently, you’ll save on gas. Second, there are almost no pollutants, so you won’t have to buy medicine),” Marquez said, adding that the vehicles are cost-efficient and supports the administration’s PUV Modernization Program.

He said the plan was to initially roll out the new PUVs in the Quezon City Loop route — going through Timog Avenue, West Avenue, North Avenue, and East Avenue — beginning the second week of January.

He said the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) for the route was yet to be issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

“2017 pa, na hanggang ngayon hindi pa nilalabas ng LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board). Sana pagdating ng January ay ibigay na ‘yung CPC (They applied as early as 2017 but until now it still hasn’t been released by the LTFRB. Hopefully by January the CPC will be issued),” Marquez said.

Dubbed the “Aero Dynamic Air-condition Jumbo Jeepney” (Jumbo Jeep) and manufactured by Dongfeng Motor Corp., Marquez said the PUV was also fully-compliant to the Philippine National Standard (PNS) Class 3 set by the Department of Trade and Industry with the price tag of Class 2 modern PUV from other manufacturers.

According to the PNS on PUV Class 2 and 3-Dimensions, Class 2 PUVs have a passenger capacity of more than 22 passengers including those standing, while Class 3 PUVs can support more than 22 seated passengers, not including standing passengers.

Initially, Marquez said the jumbo jeep was upgraded with computerized electronic air reactor, electronic fuel reactor, and “Wonderlube” — all Filipino inventions — which resulted in its certification as a Euro 6-compliant PUV.

Marquez said the jumbo jeep was certified by both the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Land Transportation Office after computerized emission tests, and certified as PNS Class 3 compliant by the DOTr.

“Kaya ito ngayon ho ay meron na certificate of compliance. Talagang Euro 6-compliant — hindi ‘yun kwento (This PUV already has a certificate of compliance. It really is Euro 6-compliant — that’s for real),” Marquez said. With the aim to save on production costs of the jumbo jeep and potentially make the unit cheaper, Marquez said the manufacturer has committed to building a local manufacturing plant if at least 500 units are sold by July 2020.

“Ang aking estimate, by the month of February or March, na-deliver na lahat ‘yon (Based on my estimates, by the month of February or March, all those units will be delivered),” Marquez said.

In November, the DOTr canceled the planned automatic phaseout of non-Euro 4-compliant jeepneys by June 2020.