Govt must solve ‘the jeepney problem’
AS the country slowly moves toward less restricted conditions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, there have been growing calls from the public and some sympathetic media for the government to allow the return of “traditional” jeepneys to the roads in and around Metro Manila. Doing so, advocates argue, will not only relieve the stress on commuters who have limited transportation options due to physical distancing requirements, but also give some badly needed relief to the jeepney drivers and operators, who have been unemployed for more than three months due to the lockdowns and quarantines.
So far, however, the government has displayed an obvious reluctance to allow ordinary jeepneys to return to the streets, citing concerns about whether proper anti- infection protocols can be managed, even though the Department of Health has opined that open- air jeepneys probably do not pose an undue risk in that respect.
The clear subtext in the government’s hesitancy is its preference to use the occasion of the pandemic and the resultant community quarantine measures to advance its Public Utility Jeepney Modernization Program. This is not at all an unreasonable perspective. What is problematic, however, is the government’s failure to issue a clear decision and policy directives, leading to a public impression that the government is rather hoping the “jeepney problem” will simply “go away.”
The problem quite obviously will not just go away, and will only become more acute and contentious the longer it is ignored. By not squarely facing and addressing the issue, the government is squandering an excellent opportunity to make some real improvements in the public transportation sector for all concerned.
What makes the “jeepney problem” so difficult is that it comprises three equally valid and often divergent realities. The “traditional jeepney” is, frankly, an environmental and safety nightmare, outdated at best, with the vast majority being poorly maintained and operated in hair- raising fashion. Nevertheless, the jeepney fills a vital role in the public transportation network, and is relied on by hundreds of thousands of commuters daily for basic mobility. Likewise, the jeepney fleet provides employment for tens of thousands of drivers and contributes to thousands of small businesses, both directly and indirectly.
It should not be impossible to satisfactorily address all three priorities — safe and environmentally sustainable vehicles, demand for public mobility, and gainful employment and economic productivity — without sacrificing one or more of them, but so far, that is all either the supporters of traditional jeepneys or the government is offering. The backers of the downtrodden jeepney drivers and operators would have us sacrifice road safety and accept continuing degradation of the environment for the sake of preserving “livelihoods,” while the government’s modernization program, in the somnambulant manner it is being pursued, would have us sacrifice mobility and accept large numbers of people being driven into impoverishment for the sake of deploying a non-embarrassing mode of transport.
Looking at the issue from the broadest perspective, it is obvious that the modernization program is the most productive and forward- looking concept, although it may be flawed in its details and execution. Making certain that conversion to modernized jeepneys is both financially feasible and viable for existing jeepney owners, and that the relevant agencies are properly funded and equipped with the necessary manpower and technical capabilities to carry out the program swiftly should be given a much higher priority than they are now.
As a stopgap measure, however, and to provide some muchneeded short-term relief to jeepney operators and commuters alike, the government should work to return the existing jeepneys that can be safely operated to service as soon as possible. The boost in economic activity this will create will, after all, provide the government with additional resources with which to carry out the modernization program, while at the same time reduce the sunk costs of financial and social safety nets for those who have lost their livelihoods through no fault of their own.