DAGUPAN CITY — An official of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Thursday has called on all oppositors here to the Jeepney Modernization Plan to give the government a chance.
“We will face all the opposition but please give the government a chance,” pleaded Veronica Peralta, Attorney IV of the LTFRB regional office in San Fernando City, La Union, during the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas forum in Dagupan City.
She said they had chosen Dagupan City as pilot area in Pangasinan for the Jeepney Modernization Plan. San Fernando City is pilot area for La Union, Vigan City for Ilocos Sur and Laoag City for Ilocos Norte.
Peralta said of all towns and cities in Pangasinan, it is Dagupan which appears to be the most ready to embrace jeepney modernization based on the assessment of her office in view of the initial interest of some operators to change their units to e-jeepneys.
“We had a meeting with the city mayor (Belen Fernandez) last December and we told her that Dagupan will be a pilot area for jeepney modernization. In fact, we’re scheduled to have a meeting with members of the transport sector,” she said.
The Association of United Transport Organization Provincewide (AUTOPro) led by its president Benny Aquino is reluctant to welcome jeepney modernization, saying that this will force jeepney drivers and operators to acquire loans which they cannot afford to pay.
Mayor Fernandez learned from the LTFRB that one unit of e-jeepney will cost PHP1.5 million to be amortized by each driver at PHP800 per day. The daily earning of drivers here at present is more or less PHP400 per day.
Worried that the families of drivers will starve if they embrace jeepney modernization, AUTOPro wants to delay the implementation of the plan and for the government to give them better terms.
Mayor Fernandez is asking that the 10-month period of amortization per e-jeepney unit be lengthened and for the government to increase its subsidy beyond PHP80,000 per unit to make the modernization plan more acceptable.
Peralta said there are other government agencies, like the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) that are willing to provide livelihood packages so drivers can earn extra income and ensure that they can pay their monthly amortizations with the banks.
She said the e-jeepney is environment-friendly because it is fueled by electricity.
The salient features of the e-jeepneys based on the omnibus franchising guidelines and specification include a body where the door is on the right side, is air-conditioned, with wifi, Close Circuit Television Camera, speed meter, dash board, automated fare collection and will be 22 to 32 seater.
Peralta said the LTFTRB wants to remove the old and worn out public utility vehicles but this is not abrupt and will be done gradually. (Leonardo Micua/PNA)
