I CAN consider myself lucky for having travelled to two popular destinations abroad, Hong Kong and the US. In both instances, I have seen and felt the wide gap between their mass transportation system and ours in the Philippines. Yes, I am one of the many Filipinos who are being criticized for having allegedly changed after travelling abroad, in our dialect, “Ibat yamu abroad, obat meyarti ya.”
E kami pu meyarti o mag-inarte mu. In other countries, people respect the pedestrian lanes, follow road rules and regulations, and most importantly, enjoy the luxury of an effective and reliable transport system. Many of you will agree that our public transportation system really needs to be upgraded and modernized.
It is true that you can find the jeepney only here in the Philippines, and that can be taken both positively and negatively. While it has given us some sort of pride and popularity in the world, the jeepney becoming close to being our national symbol, it has also led us to developing some unhealthy and undisciplined habits. We can ride or go down anywhere we want, unlike in other counties where the bus stops are the only places where passengers can wait for their ride. If the place you’re coming from or your destination is far from the bus stop, then there is no other way but for you to wait for the bus at the nearest stop. In this way, there are no unnecessary stops, therefore, no unnecessary traffic along the streets and main roads as well.
Secondly, the buses and public utility vehicles are modern, having their own payment machine where you just drop your quarters commensurate to your destination. You don’t have to yell “para” but just need to pull the string to notify the driver ahead of your next bus stop. The ones I have become familiar with are the orange buses called “California Poppy” in Los Angeles, CA, which are operated by Metro LA, an agency chartered under state law as a regional transportation planning agency. That experience of riding these buses for more than five months have taught me that discipline and orderliness definitely spells a big difference.
I have been a commuter for most of my life, both here in the province and in Manila. In my own point of view, it is high time for us to push for the modernization of our PUJs and PUVs. For me, there’s nothing wrong in wishing for the standardization of our public transport system, as it also ensures the welfare and safety of the passengers. I remember writing a column way back in 2014 about the customized PUJs going to and from Clark and Dau where I mentioned that:
“These extraordinarily long PUJs are those that ply the San Fernando to Angeles, Clark or Dau routes, and are able to accommodate at least 30 passengers. It is clearly understood why these jeeps have become the way they are now because of the main goal of increasing profit from a single trip; ergo the more passengers, the more income for the driver. There are passenger jeeps converted from mini-trucks and there are also the long XLT jeeps similar to the one I saw along the JASA road. The latter ones did not only catch my attention when I realized how longer these jeeps have become through the years, but when I also wondered if these assembled-type PUJs can safely bring around 30 persons especially along the NLEX.
I remembered an accident involving a passenger jeepney along SCTEX years ago when issues concerning responsibility and accountability of jeepney drivers to the safety of their passengers were raised. I believe that there are jeepney associations that regulate the number of PUJs who can operate on a specific route, aside from the given regulations that are given by the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board or LTFRB. But the crafting of additional guidelines prior to issuing and renewing franchises of jeepney operators is something that the LTFRB must deeply look into. There must be standards and limitations that must be implemented by the LTFRB, such as the maximum length and weight capacity of a single jeep, whether it’s an assembled or a converted type.
The primary concern must be the safety of the passengers, and even of the driver as well. It is not an easy task to be travelling along the expressway with the lives of 30 other people on your hands, this is why both the driver and the operator must be held liable for any cases resulting from negligence. The driver must always make sure that the vehicle is always in prime condition, especially vital parts such as tires, brakes, engine, suspension, and chassis.”
This is why I highly support the proposed PUV Modernization Program launched by the Department of Transportation in 2017, “a flagship program of the Duterte administration which envisions a restructured, modern, well-managed and environmentally sustainable transport sector where drivers and operators have stable, sufficient and dignified livelihoods while commuters get to their destinations quickly, safely and comfortably.”
According to the DoTr, the PUVMP is not just a simple modernization program, but seeks to introduce a comprehensive reform system that features a regulatory reform that includes new set of guidelines in the issuance of franchises, devolved route planning to the local government units, and the fleet modernization which are said to be “environment-friendly, safe, secure and convenient with due consideration to our Persons-with-Disabilities (PWDs) passengers.”
If we will not be able to implement the PUVMP before the Duterte Administration ends, then we shall continue to be a country of poor, ancient, unsystematic mass transport system with undisciplined drivers and passengers alike. If not now, when?