MANILA — At least 300 modern electricity-powered jeepneys will be rolled out in June, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
The DOTr made this statement following the announcement of Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in a Palace press briefing Thursday that the initial batch of e-jeepneys will traverse some parts of Metro Manila.
The routes include Quezon City Hall, along Elliptical Road, Diliman to Manila City Hall, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay to Southwest Intermodal Transport exchange in Parañaque City, Fort Bonifacio Gate 3 in Taguig City to Guadalupe Market in Makati and Bagumbayan in Taguig to Pasig City.
“They will not be rolled out for public use without a valid franchise,” DOTr Public Information Office Director Godess Hope Libiran said in a text message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) when asked if the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has granted franchises to the modern jeepneys.
The deployment of e-jeepneys is part of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) which seeks to provide safe, comfortable and environmentally sustainable mode of public transport to commuters.
The PUVMP will replace jeepney units that are 15 years old with Euro 4 engines or electrically-powered engines with solar panels for roofs.
These modern PUVs will also be equipped with closed-circuit television cameras, a GPS navigation system, an Automatic Fare Collection System, speed limiters, dashboard cameras, and Wi-Fi. (PNA)
