Modernization still left us stranded

By Ray Adrian Macalalag

For the longest time, I have been dependent on the public transportation system our country has built. I live in a strategic location where almost all jeepney routes converge making it convenient for me. Prior to the pandemic, when I heard of the jeepney modernization program, I had extremely high hopes that this will not only bring comfort to commuters like me but also build a more reliable system that can encourage more people to give public transport a chance. And yet, years have passed, fares increased and never got restored to pre-pandemic adjusted costs, and the struggle has been more apparent.

Reports suggest that the public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP) is failing, with half already at the brink of financial stability. These strains stem from rising fuel prices, worsening traffic congestion, and competition with traditional jeepneys. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched in 2017 an omnibus franchising guideline that drawn the birth stage of the PUVMP. It envisioned a restructured, modern, well-managed, and environmentally sustainable transportation sector where drivers and operators have stable, sufficient and dignified livelihoods, while commuters arrive at their destination in a quick, safe, and sustainable manner. Eight years in, we see struggling operators, cramped up and unreliable public transportation, and occasional brawls and quarrels between drivers or between drivers and their operators. Commuters are left hostage.

The promises of the PUVMP have not materialized if their visions are assessed with what is happening on the ground, but the program is not the only parameter acting here. It can be observed, for example that public transportation should not have formed siloes of modern jeeps and traditional jeeps. Both are struggling because passenger demand is still traditionally managed. In major parts of the city, jeepneys serving the same route are still lining up staying there for as long as they can waiting for the mercy of passengers. That generates congestion. If operators fully complied with the PUVMP, this should not have been the case. The ideal scenario could have been that a jeepney with the same route would, hypothetically, be spaced every few minutes and leave at a specific time.

And in the same irony, there are jeepney routes which are overloaded, but if no complaint or trending social media post comes up, it is dismissed as status quo. The modernization program is not just about the jeeps becoming mini-buses and acquiring them, it demands more: fleet management, demand-driven route management, and truly modern systems. Sadly, demand-driven route management cannot materialize because routes are fixed in the current franchise system. Getting a franchise in less profitable routes will, of course, lead to the operator’s demise.

University of the Philippines studies recognize that modernization costs, indeed, go beyond vehicle purchase. And today, the financial sector perceives jeepneys as a risky investment. Furthermore, there is also a drive for electrification of jeepney fleets. Operator decisions to electrification are driven by economic incentives, not environmental concerns. There is a huge gap in local government support or mechanisms to allow them to support it in the first place. The top-down approach of the program lacked stakeholder engagement that led to resistance and fragmentation – not consolidation as the program aimed. It is also apparent that local governments were not as ready as expected. The program required transition from informal to formal structures but has faced legal, financial, social, and even political challenges. The next generation of problems will soon arise if electrification will enter the picture with infrastructure and fortified business models still absent.

The PUVMP, despite its commendable intentions, faces significant structural, financial, and institutional challenges. To achieve a truly equitable and sustainable transition, policymakers must address the exclusion of grassroots stakeholders, provide comprehensive financial and technical assistance, and ensure that modernization does not compromise the livelihoods and dignity of the Filipino transport workforce. The DOTr must be held accountable for these shortcomings. Simultaneously, solutions must emerge from grassroots initiatives with the unwavering support of local governments and a profound understanding that commuters should not be subjected to undue restrictions, as mobility is a fundamental right, not a privilege.