Duhon wrote:wait, piston has a proposal for a jeepney replacement out and about?
Yeah, they proposed it in 2017.
See, the problem isn't modernization at all. We want our jeeps to modernize. The question is, modernization at what cost? Look at the modern jeeps: they're air conditioned, with free wifi, they have these new Euro 4 engines, etc. Sure. But they cost 2.4 million pesos. Nobody can afford 2.4 million pesos. Look at the guidelines surrounding them. Individual drivers can no longer get a franchise (the permit which allows them to ply a route) unless they join a cooperative or join a corporation. Co-ops don't have money to buy franchises. Corporations do. In either case, you join a co-op or a company, you surrender your franchise and your jeep, and you get a loan for a modern one which you have to pay 800 pesos every day for 7 years. But if you're in a corporate entity, you get paid minimum wage for 8 hours, compared to the 1-2k drivers earn (net) currently.
If you're a driver, "modernization" shafts you and pushes you out. If you're a commuter, you're not so lucky either. The new franchising guidelines make it so drivers can't get multiple franchises. That means no more inter-city jeepney routes. That means, a commuter has to ride multiple jeeps just to get where they were going. Add to the increase in minimum fare (from today's 9 pesos to 11), and a ride that currently costs 25 pesos could increase to as much as 36.
Modernization only benefits corporate entities who have the resources to privatize public transport, and the manufacturers who get to import parts and assemble jeeps here. It kills small players and doesn't allow local industry to thrive. What we need is a mass-oriented modernization that allows people to make an honest living.