Reeling from the prohibitive costs of modernization and the President's failure to uphold promises of support, jeepney drivers fear they are reaching the end of the line.
MANILA, Philippines – Jeepney drivers are calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to honor his promise of support for the transport industry now that traditional jeepneys risk being run off the road. Danilo Santos, a jeepney driver who has been plying the Pateros-Guadalupe route for more than 26 years, said that he voted for Marcos with the hope that his livelihood would be secure – only for that hope to once again be broken.Noon pang panahon ni Duterte ‘yan. Sinusulong na nila.
But why do drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys oppose the PUV modernization program in the first place? Their primary concern is the prohibitively high costs that come with modernization. Jereck, an operator along the Pateros-Guadalupe route, decried how the modernization program would suddenly bury him in debt when he had worked and saved up for years to buy his own traditional jeepney.Halimbawa ako operator, wala akong utang, nagkautang ako ng milyon-milyon! Saan naman ako makakakuha ng milyon? Isang kahig, isang tuka na nga lang kami ehPinapanawagan ko sa ating presidente, sana makaunawa kayo. Siyempre ang makikinabang niyan mga negosyante.
Tycoons have already begun to close in. In 2022, Manny Pangilinan invested P1.5 billion in modern jeepney operator Byahe, which is set to add 500 units to its fleet by 2027. Byahe currently operates in Metro Manila, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija.While drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys oppose the implementation of the program, some don’t outright reject the idea of modernization.
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