OSMEÑA
It would be impractical to phase out jeepneys aged 15 years and older, at least as far as Cebu City is concerned.
“The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program is going to phase out many jeepney routes when it is implemented; what will happen to these new jeepneys then?” Mayor Tomas Osmeña posted on his Facebook page yesterday morning.
He said while the government is trying to “incorporate as many drivers as we can into the BRT program, but we cannot incorporate their vehicles.”
Osmeña said government should consider other solutions rather than phasing out old jeepneys.
“If pollution is the issue, then it is unnecessary to replace old vehicles with new ones. The existing vehicles can be calibrated to keep it up to standards (of road worthiness). The city government will buy equipment to make this happen,” he said.
The militant transport group Piston organized a nationwide strike last Monday to protest plans of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to already phase out passenger jeepneys that are at least 15 years old.
“For Cebu City at least, it is not something I would recommend since the BRT already is on its way. It would be crippling to a driver’s livelihood to force him to buy a new jeepney only to have it outlawed in a few years,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña said passenger jeepneys don’t cause traffic congestion since there are more private vehicles than jeepneys.
He said the production of new vehicles also causes pollution.
“My son’s car is 12 years old. It passes emissions testing just fine. I don’t think he or anyone else would like to be forced to buy another car in 3 years,” he said on FB.
“Look up the factory in Sudbury, Canada that makes the batteries for hybrid vehicles. Trees don’t even grow nearby anymore,” the mayor said.
Osmeña said “keeping what we have is actually better for the environment.”
“Let’s fix what we have. Instead of replacing the jeepney with another jeepney, we’re going to bring something better to Cebu anyway.”
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said the phaseout of aging jeepneys should be seen as a safety issue for commuters since these vehicles are more likely to figure in road accidents than new units or upgraded jeepneys.
The governor said operators of older jeepneys should realize that the road worthiness of their vehicles could be compromised and they would be more prone to accident, especially during rainy weather.
“I think it’s time that either they have to upgrade them or buy new ones because we are concerned about the safety of the commuters,” Davide said.
Along with new or upgraded jeepneys, Davide said discipline should also be practiced by drivers.
“There are times when the drivers have no discipline, they drive straight and stop whenever and wherever they want in any street. They should be disciplined,” the governor said.
Even with the BRT in place, BRT project coordinator Rafael Yap said jeepney operators need to upgrade their units or buy new jeepneys to service their passengers.
“Yes (I support the phaseout). I think modernization is always good; moving forward in terms of passenger comfort, quality, the efficiency of operations. Probably, in terms of how to approach it, maybe that’s where we differ,” he said.
Yap said a livelihood training program in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) will benefit those drivers that will be displaced by the BRT project. The program has produced six graduates.
Yap said there will still be 30 to 60 slots that they will be endorsing for the program.
He said their office is preparing for the procurement of a contractor that will construct the first phase of the BRT project.
Yap said they hope to bid out the project in the second quarter of the year so that actual construction can also start later in the year.
The first phase involves the construction of BRT terminals along Osmeña Boulevard./With Reporter Jose Santino S. Bunachita and Correspondents Inna Gian Meijia and Izobelle T. Pulgo