THE President will push through with efforts to modernize jeepneys, the country’s primary mode of public transportation, but he said he would like to see this program implemented differently. 

President Marcos Jr. said the jeepney modernization program could still be improved. He hopes that transport groups would reconsider their planned week-long strike to protest the modernization program not to inconvenience commuters.

“Doon sa issue sa modernization na sinasabi, sa aking palagay ay kailangan din gawin talaga ‘yan. Ngunit sa pag-aaral ko, parang hindi maganda ang naging implementation nung modernization,” he told reporters in an ambush interview. 

He said the government could talk to transport groups and inform them that it can implement the program differently. 

“Siguro kaya natin kausapin ang mga transport groups at sabihin natin, hindi, babaguhin talaga namin para hindi masyadong mabigat sa bulsa ng bawat isa,” he said. 

Tweak the process

He said there is a need to ensure public utility vehicles are safe. But he also said his administration could change the timetable for some aspects.

He noted that it might not be the time to go full blast on introducing electric vehicles since only 30 percent of the country’s power source is renewable. 

“So hindi pa urgent ngayon, sa ngayon. Hindi pa kaya ng impraestruktura natin. So we have to build that up,” he said.

Moreover, he said, not all traditional jeepneys may need to be phased out immediately. Authorities could inspect the jeepneys and allow roadworthy ones to continue operating, he said. 

“To keep the vehicles safe, sa aking palagay, dapat ang pwedeng gawin ay inspeksyunin ang mga vehicles. May luma naman na maganda pa rin, may luma naman na pwede pa gamitin,” he said.

He said that just because a vehicle has reached a certain number of years does not mean the government should remove it from the road. 

“Tingnan natin yung condition. Kung maganda mag alaga yung driver, maganda yung jeep niya, di pwede pa gamitin yan, safe pa naman. Yan yung mga issue na dapat pag-aralan,” he said.

He also hopes these government initiatives would be enough to convince drivers to forego their plan to hold a strike.

Why jeepney drivers are protesting

Transport groups are set to hold a strike beginning March 6 in protest of the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board memorandum circular that states that franchises or provisional authorities of traditional jeepneys will be valid only until June 30. 

The government plans to replace traditional jeepneys with modern jeepneys or minibuses.

But transport groups and operators want more time to transition to these new vehicles.

They said the government’s deadline would affect the livelihoods of thousands of drivers and operators who could not afford to acquire the more modern vehicle.

Some also lament that the modernization program would phase out the iconic jeepney, known as the “King of the Road.”

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista has offered to hold a dialogue with the groups and said the government was willing to discuss extending the June 30 deadline. 

But the groups rejected his offer and said the LTFRB circular should be scrapped first.