By Chloe Mari A. Hufana
MOTORCYCLE taxis and ride-hailing services are expected to become more expensive in the Philippines once an order calling for the consolidation of jeepeney drivers and operators takes effect on April 30, according to transport experts.
“Commuting is a daily struggle,” Rene S. Santiago, a founding member of the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines, told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. “Fewer jeepneys on the road mean a shift to more expensive alternatives, like motorcycle taxis.”
Alyssa B. Belda, a committee head at Tanggol Pasada Network said fewer jeepneys on the road would lead to more jampacked buses and trains especially in Manila and nearby cities.
“Commuters will shift to other transport modes, such as buses and trains, which we know are already overflowing with passengers,” she said. “This also means that more people are shifting to private vehicles.”
Jeepney drivers and operators have until April 30 to consolidate by forming cooperatives as part of the government’s transport modernization program.
About 76% of jeepneys nationwide have not consolidated, according to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) website.
Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) Deputy Secretary-General Ruben G. Baylon said 28 million Filipino commuters would suffer as the consolidated franchise takes effect.
“Around 250,000 drivers and operators will be affected, while 28 million commuters who rely on public transport will suffer, he said in Filipino.
Ms. Belda said 395 routes in the National Capital Region would disappear, while 337 routes would not reach the 60% consolidation rate. Almost 2,000 transport routes nationwide will cease to exist.
She noted that since the modernization program started in 2017, the country’s transport supply nationwide has been halved to 150,000 units
In the capital region alone, 23,000 units will be phased out. “Transport workers are leaving the industry because they cannot cover the cost of modernization,” she added.
An imported modern jeepney costs about P2 million.
Despite the threat of arrest and citation tickets, Mr. Baylon said drivers and operators would choose to continue operating because they don’t have other means of livelihood.
“Consolidation is not an end by itself, but a means to an end,” Mr. Santiago said. “If properly implemented, in the long run, it would benefit Filipinos.”
AltMobility PH Director Ira F. Cruz said consolidation, the main component of the modernization program, would improve service and help drivers earn more if done right.
But there is a problem in the sequence of events to enforce the consolidation, he pointed out.
“The government should first complete the various local public transport route plans and route rationalization before requiring consolidation,” he said in a Viber message.
On Saturday PISTON announced another round of transport strikes to fight the deadline and the modernization plan.
Alabang, Baclaran, Sucat, Taft Avenue, Agoncillo, Monumento, Novaliches, Litex, Anonas, Katipunan and Philcoa were identified as key assembly points for the protest.
