MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) should submit its report and inform the public on the latest developments about the jeepney modernization program in the country, Senator Grace Poe said on Tuesday.
“We want to know what has happened to the modernization program. Has the DOTr come up with clear guidelines on how to implement this? There are still many things to be ironed out,” Poe said.
Poe, the chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, said that the DOTr should update the public to avoid confusion and misinformation about the scheduled phase-out of old jeepneys this year.
“All the details should be laid on the table because as far as ordinary jeepney drivers are concerned, it is their livelihood that is at stake here,” the lady senator said.
Poe also called on the jeepney drivers and operators to abstain from holding protests following the implementation of the “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” program by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
“The lack of transportation hits the commuters hard and disrupts work and classes,” Poe said.
In a hearing last year, Poe mentioned the conduct of a pilot test of the modernization program first amid the lack of clear guidelines and consultation with the transport groups.
The senator pushed that the DOTr should experiment on specific areas and should focus on possible tests, such as compliance with safety, roadworthiness and smoke emission.
The DOTr has vowed to negotiate with the PUV organizations, operators, and employees.
Poe said that as a settlement, old jeepneys which will pass road-worthiness tests will still be allowed to continue plying their routes, considering that jeepney operators must comply with the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) results which have recently been set up by the DOTr.
Poe added that the program should not result in “unjustly killing” the source of livelihood of the drivers although she believes that there is a need to modernize the country’s public transportation.
“The government should step in to ensure the public a convenient and safe way to commute, with the opportunity for the drivers and operators to upgrade their vehicles. However, it should not be too burdensome for them,” Poe said.
The DOTr estimated that a new jeepney costs between P1.5 million and P1.8 million, with the government subsidizing only a meager P80, 000.