Byahe targeting to expand modern jeepney services
CORPORATE consolidator Byahe, a transport group that was co-founded by a former Grab executive, plans to expand its modern jeepney services across the country and institutionalize a scheduled dispatch system to provide better transport solutions to Filipinos.
Brian P. Cu, the co-founder of Byahe, said his group supports the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, noting that the modern jeepney operations with a scheduled dispatch system will make the ubiquitous transport mode “more organized and efficient.”
“Byahe was born out of a dream and a vision: to pursue PUV modernization by professionalizing the services of jeepney drivers, and to finally make commuting more convenient, safer, and more affordable for the riding public,” he said.
The service was first introduced in Pampanga on Thursday. Byahe, Cu noted, is a corporate consolidator that brings together operators in the public utility jeepney (PUJ) sector, adding that
Byahe’s jeepneys are required to have designated stops, similar to buses in first world countries.
Byahe’s fleet will also be managed under a technical platform that allows for cashless payments.
“This will ultimately benefit the commuting public. It will promote efficiency, convenience, and safety, as commuters will be able to organize their schedule and be assured of on-time transportation to and from their desired destinations,” Cu said.
He added that Byahe will “professionalize the fragmented traditional jeepney sector, allowing for improved livelihood and opportunity for development most especially for drivers.” This includes the training of drivers as well as regular salaries.
“This means stable income for drivers and taxes for the government. The industry, once professionalized, will bring drivers to the formal economy, while operators of modernized fleets will be paying common carrier taxes,” Cu explained.
Byahe will introduce its services in Metro Manila in February, and plans to expand “to major cities throughout the year.”