Modernizing mass transport

Many Filipinos may be familiar with the government’s bold BUILD BUILD BUILD program composed of long overdue infrastructure upgrades and improvements. Yet paired with this is the equally ambitious Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

This government initiative is designed to streamline and organize the country’s public road transportation system. Launched in June 2017, the program seeks provide safer, more efficient, and more carefully-regulated means of transport for the riding public. Though commonly recognized as a jeepney modernization program, the PUVMP actually covers all modes of road-going 4 to 6-wheeled passenger transport.

The program involves several phases: from phasing out old vehicles that are no longer road worthy and emissions compliant; to scrutinizing and reorganizing routes, franchises, and roles of the vehicles involved; to introducing new systems and standards for vehicles that will serve the public. It is hoped to be implemented nationwide by 2020.

The current state

Despite being a symbol of Filipino ingenuity, the jeepney has a number of flaws. Jeepney routes don’t have set stops, the vehicle is boarded from behind which can be dangerous, and their size, passenger capacity, road-worthiness, emissions, and franchises have become difficult to regulate.

Jeepneys aren’t the only problem as several far-flung cities make us of other modes like the multicabs that carry passengers over short distances, UV Express vans which were intended as point to point transport, and mini buses which connect city to city. All these different kinds of