ILOILO CITY -- Transport groups in Iloilo and Guimaras are proposing for an alternative to the phase-out of 15-year-old and above public utility jeepneys (PUJs).
In a press conference Thursday, Edgar Salarda, President of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON-Panay), said they are proposing to rehabilitate their PUJs by using Euro4 engines instead of diesel to address air pollution.
The six transport groups, dubbed Panay and Guimaras Alliance for Transport Rehabilitation (PATH-Rehab), are collaborating to reach out to the government about their alternative plan instead of phasing out the PUJs.
PATH-Rehab is composed of the PISTON-Panay, Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Owners and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA), Confederation of Iloilo Jeepney Owners and Drivers Association (CIPJODA), Iloilo City Alliance of Drivers Associations (ICADA), Iloilo City Alliance of Jeepney Owners and Drivers Association (ICAJODA) and a transport group from Guimaras.
Salarda said converting to Euro4 engines would only cost them PHP250,000 to PHP300,000, cheaper than the PHP1.7 million cost of the new model of jeepney under the PUJ Modernization program of the government.
As of the moment, the transport groups already prepared their position paper to be submitted to the local government units where they operate, as well as to the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board.
“We want them to support our plan,” Salarda said.
In their position paper, the transport groups called for the “scrapping of PUJ Phase-out and adopt the alternative of rehabilitation that will be possible only through government-sponsored purchase and distribution of affordable Euro4 engines.”
“It will help small PUJ operators as this proposal is within their budget as oppose to the millions in retail prices of brand new Solar, Electric or Euro4 compliant jeepneys,” the position paper said.
“Importantly, commuters will not be burdened by possible fare hikes to be brought about by monopoly control of transport routes by big transport companies through the fleet management,” it added.
These transport groups reiterated that they are opposed to the jeepney phase-out as it will cause loss of the livelihood and subsistence of small PUJ operators, its drivers and their family, small auto supply businesses, local PUJ body-builders and commuters.
For the ICLAJODA alone, one of the biggest transport groups in Western Visayas, its assistant secretary Don Purzuelo said that more or less 2,000 of its members will be affected by the phaseout.
Aside from the six big transport groups that have already prepared their position papers, Salarda said that other position papers from its sub-groups are also coming.
They hoped their plan will get the support of the government because they are ready to implement it once approved by authorities. (PNA)
