House Minority Leader Benny Abante Jr. on Thursday urged the government to “slam the brakes on its jeepney modernization plan” while the whole country is reeling from the effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as he appealed to transport policymakers to come up with a “coherent, comprehensive plan” that will allow jeepney drivers to resume work.
“Instead of trying to implement what I and many jeepney operators believe is an ill-conceived jeepney modernization plan, the government should instead suspend the program, revisit it, and improve it with input from jeepney operators, car manufacturers, and other sectors,” said the lawmaker from Manila.
“Current conditions make it impossible for jeepney drivers and operators to upgrade their vehicles.”
Abante said: “We certainly cannot implement it now, not while one, there are still issues with regard to the program itself; and two, because current conditions make it impossible for jeepney drivers and operators to upgrade their vehicles.”
“The whole transportation sector is suffering because of this pandemic. Jeepney drivers and operators have not earned anything since March, so we cannot expect them to have the capital needed right now to replace their units,” lamented the solon.
“Kahit i-subsidize ng gobyerno itong programa na ito, wala na talagang pera ang mga tsuper. (Even with government subsidy, jeepney drivers really do not have the money) The priority now should be to come up with a coherent, comprehensive plan to get our jeepney drivers back on the roads and to find ways to make them ply their routes with the proper safety precautions in place for commuters,” stressed Abante.
“For both jeepney drivers and workers who do not own vehicles, jeeps can make the difference between working and not working, and between eating and starving.”
“These prototypes must also be cheap to produce and not harmful to the environment.”
The legislator said that transport policymakers should revisit the jeepney modernization plan, as it “threatens to erase an iconic part of our culture.”
“As someone who believes in protecting the environment, I am all for better jeeps that will not pollute our cities. However, modernization need not come at the expense of design elements that are distinctly Filipino,” explained Abante.
Abante suggested that government challenge design and engineering students or professionals to collaborate and come up with jeepney designs and prototypes that address the need to efficiently transport commuters while being faithful to the spirit of the original jeepney.
“These prototypes must also be cheap to produce and not harmful to the environment. With the talent and skill we have in this country, I am sure we will be able to design and build a modern jeepney that satisfies all these requirements.”