Buelva, Ma. Jorjie.

HRM-3A.

"No to Jeepney Phaseout, Yes to Jeepney Upgrade"

The government, under former President Rodrigo Duterte, launched the same
program in 2017 to phase out all old public utility vehicles or PUVs by 2020,
but to no avail. These old vehicles, especially jeepneys, were deemed unsafe
and harmful to the environment. Grace Poe, the measure refers to the
implementation of LTFRB's memorandum circular giving traditional jeeps until
June 30, 2023 to ply the roads should their operators fail to join or form a
cooperative or corporation. The government transport modernization program,
first launched in 2017, aims to replace dangerously dilapidated and old
passenger jeepneys and vans with modern vehicles, which have safety
features and conform with carbon emissions standards. The program,
officially called the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP),
was a priority initiative of the Duterte administration, and was rolled out in
2017 with the goal of replacing 85,000 old jeepneys with more efficient,
higher-capacity versions by 2020.

Modern jeepneys currently cost around P2. 2 and P2. 4 million. The jeepney
is the cheapest way to commute in the Philippines. Because of its open rear
door design, picking up and dropping off is easy for both passengers and
drivers, they can stop anywhere unlike buses. Although I believe that
modernizing the jeepneys is fantastic step toward reducing pollution, I believe
that the government should have done a better job of preparing for the
transition to take into account how the Filipino people will be impacted. Also,
rather than spending their hard-earned money on brand-new, expensive jeeps,
drivers of jeeps, should use it to support their families. Because from what I've
been seeing, it seems like they're doing it more for the money instead of
improving the country's transport system.

There are many valid reasons for jeepney drivers to protest what they want to;
it is much more difficult for them to adjust to such a situation because jeepney
drivers only earn enough money to live and continue to drive us to our
destinations every day; they can voice out what they want to hear from them.
sadly to saw Filipino drivers crying out loud for their own rights.