Iconic - and polluting - jeepneys have been ordered off the road, but drivers and operators say the replacement scheme is pushing them into debt. Read more at straitstimes.com.
MANILA – Brightly painted jeepneys are an iconic symbol of the Philippines, but transport cooperative boss Freddie Hernandez is backing plans to force them off the road.
Other public transport leaders, however, say the programme is saddling them with unmanageable costs and will upend the livelihood of some 61,000 jeepney drivers, as they face a looming deadline to modernise their fleets. In 2017, the transport ministry ordered jeepneys aged 15 years or older to be replaced with modern vehicles imported from neighbouring Asian countries such as Japan and China.
Despite backing the plan, Mr Hernandez said his cooperative is struggling with the upgrade costs, which come as they reel from a decline in passengers due to the pandemic and high fuel prices.But diesel consumption alone averages 2,500 pesos daily, he said, leaving them with only about 3,500 to pay for the loans, salaries and maintenance.So far, 60 per cent of the 185,000 elderly jeepneys have been replaced, said LTFRB head Teofilo Guadiz III.
To qualify for government bank loans and subsidies, drivers and small-time operators must join or form cooperatives or corporations, which will own both the buses and their public franchises to operate.
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