BAGUIO councilors want to pull out from being a pilot site for the electronic jeepney operations to show support to jeepney operators opposing plans to upgrade traditional jeeps to units worth P1.6 million.
In a resolution approved during Monday's regular session, the entire legislative body agreed to pull out from being a pilot site for the planned e-jeepney models next year.
Vice Mayor Edison Bilog said if the modernization plan ensues, there will be less earnings for drivers and a higher fare for passengers.
Bilog said the new units cost P1.6 million each, which will surely have interest in installment plans with an average of P800 boundary for drivers to fill against the present P600. The deficit of P200 will be passed on to passengers and this automatically means hike fare.
Department Order 2017-011, the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) issued by Transportation and Railways Secretary Arthur Tugade last June 19, 2017, seeks to provide safe, comfortable and environmentally-sustainable modes of public transport to commuters, but it also aims to phase out old and dilapidated jeepneys to be replaced with the prescribed modernized jeepney units like the electronic, hybrid, LPG-power jeepneys or jeepneys that have Euro-4 compliant engines costing about P1 million per unit, thus a plan that will effectively bury jeepney operators in debt.
Bilog said each operator will be made to get 10 units of the new jeep and will now be forced to organize into cooperatives, which small operators cannot cope with.
Bilog said the 1,000 units of new e-jeeps will add to the congestion of traffic, as the jeeps, which will be phased out, will have nowhere to go, adding the terrain of the city is not suitable for the make of the e-jeeps presented to the city.
On December 18, Pat Evengelista, who now heads a new group called Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators na tutol sa Phaseout (Stop) dubbed to be the alliance of all associations fighting the jeepney phase-out, attended the City Council to lobby their plea.
Stop includes major lines like the Vipchitoda, Ujodaah (Aurora hill), LDJoda (Lourdes Dominican), Bansoda (Bakakeng Norte Sur), BKJoda (Baguio-Kapangan), Dostoda (Dontogan Sto. Tomas), Tramoda (Trancoville), Ijoda (Irisan), C7Joda (Camp 7), Gabjoda (Gabriela Silang), and Crysjoda (Crystal Cave).
The jeepney lines are basically divided into 4 trunk lines: green, red, blue and yellow.
Evagelista said there are over 3,000 jeeps in the city and the modernization will mean the end of the livelihood for over 6,000 drivers in Baguio, bemoaning lack of consolation and orientation.
Evangelista said that prototypes presented to the city were Class 2 and 3, which are not suited for the terrain of the mountain city.
Evangelista added that local manufacturers can also make the Euro 4 engines and does not have to be purchased abroad.
Earlier, the City Council approved a resolution supporting the call of the Baguio-Benguet jeepney associations coalition against jeepney phase-out provided that the owners and operators shall make sure that their dilapidated units are in good running condition and road-worthy pursuant to the standards prescribed by the transportation laws on common carriers.
The resolution stipulated that there will be no phase-out of public utility jeepneys provided that owners and operators will simply guarantee that their motor vehicles are in good running condition.