MANILA, Philippines – With the government firm that the April 30 deadline for consolidation was the last, will traditional jeepneys soon be replaced by modern units?
Actually, that might still be years away.
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive, jeepney operators were given a choice: consolidate or get off the road. So far, more than 80% of jeepney units have consolidated. But remember, this is just the first step in the government’s long-term Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
The Department of Transportation estimates it may take until 2030 to upgrade most of the country’s 150,000 jeepneys to cleaner, safer models.
There’s also the problem of price, with a modern jeepney costing an average of P2.48 million. With consolidation done, the government hopes that manufacturers will have more confidence to scale up their operations and eventually drive down modern jeepney unit prices.
Rappler’s transportation reporter Lance Spencer Yu explains more in this video. – Rappler.com
Reporter: Lance Spencer Yu
Producer, video editor: Cara Angeline Oliver
Videographer: Ulysis Pontanares
Intern: Eunice Morales
Supervising producer: Beth Frondoso
