Fixing the jeepney mess

AS I try to stress every time the sub gridlock and the inadequate and inef that is the chief cause of congestion is much bigger than anyone seems the system – currently, the focus is on jeepneys – necessarily requires action in many other areas in order for the - pen, the compartmentalized nature of government policy and process being what it is, which is why nothing seems to work, and expectations for announced “solutions” are cynically low.

The government’s modernization program for jeepneys is basically a good idea: Jeepneys that removed from public service, and some accommodation will be offered—although details are a bit fuzzy, this will likely be in the form of low-cost loans or other financial support— to jeepney owners to replace the old units with either electric units or conventional vehicles with more up

That program, however, only addresses the vehicle component of the bigger problem, and even though the individual vehicles will be an improvement, in a way it makes the overall problem worse, because there will be fewer jeepneys; not all those to be decommissioned will be modernization program to have a lasting positive impact on the country’s transportation environment, much more has to be

One of the most challenging issues is the mindset of the population, which is lazily accustomed to - ing to walk a block or two to reach a transportation line is considered perfectly normal in places where public transit works effectively, and in the Philippines’ generally friendly climate, should not be considered a hardship for most people in common, however, is a more pedestrian-friendly environment— actual sidewalks, which are not clogged with itinerant vendors, used as parking space, or considered part

Another thorny issue that must be resolved is the persistence of the “boundary system” for jeepneys (and buses as well), despite general acknowledgement that it is oppressive to transport workers and contributes to dangerous behavior, and repeated attempts to legally put an end to essentially a per diem lease of the vehicle that treats drivers and helpers as independent contractors rather than employees, is common in taxi It works for taxis (although even here it has its detractors) because taxis do there are looser limitations on what a -

Eliminating the boundary system, in particular, will allow for better management of jeepney routes, which should focus on three things: Shifting jeepney routes away from those that are covered by other forms of transportation (light rail or bus), routes, and running the jeepneys jeepneys could be dispatched from the terminal end of a route every two minutes, whether or not

A great deal of attention should be directed toward the regulation of - tation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is appallingly ineffective—but it should be emphasized that this is by design, rather than the fault of the personnel manning the subjected to much closer oversight and stricter requirements that are not imposed or are inconsistently things in which regulation is lacking or completely non-existent now include vehicle safety and emissions inspection; driver training and competence; and rationalization of franchises, to ensure that supply of jeepneys in particular areas reasonably matches passenger demand, both to provide adequate service for the public and give jeepney operators a fair chance to

The suggestions are summary in nature; the details of each of them are numerous and complex, and will take a long time to completely and in that sense perhaps, imposing the modernization program is a good first step, so long as the government does so with the understanding that it is just one