A COMPANY is offering to provide 500 electric jeepneys or e-jeepneys to a group of drivers in the city for free within five years to replace old and dilapidated jeepneys that will be phased out following the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) phaseout order.
The company, called Star 8 Green Technology Corporation, committed to give e-jeepneys which are solar powered made in Australia for free to the Cagayan de Oro's First Taxi Driver's Allegiance (CAFITADA), Transport Federation of Cagayan de Oro (Trafeco), and the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston).
The e-jeepneys will be free, provided the drivers follow the company's system which includes training and seminars for the drivers, CAFITADA President Bernardo Jamaca said.
"Ang first 500 units para sa atong organisasyon, ihatag nila nga libre pero sa paagi nga musunod ta sa ilang sistema, nga ang atong mga drivers atong ipatraining, ipaseminar. Ato pung sundon tong ginatawag nga advertising plan. Kay ilang iadvertise ang unit ug sila mugasto tanan ang amo lang is free operation kanang gitawag nila nga operations uplift naa diri sa atong memorandum of understanding," he said.
Initially, the company said that the drivers will have 500 peso wage daily and will only be required to work for 8 hours.
These units will be turned over to the group of drivers after five years replacing diesel jeepneys set to be phased out two to three years from now, Jamaca said.
Jamaca said they are powerless in the face of the planned jeepney phase out, adding they have no choice but to "embrace modernization."
The said phase out order was signed last June 19 under the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines by the DOTr to modernize jeepneys and lessen accidents.
"Wala naman ta'y mahimo kay napirmahan naman tong omnibus franchising guidelines, it has been signed since June 19 kni nga tuig lang, maong nabalaka ta kay mawad-an ug kinabuhi atong mga driver maong atong gihimuag paagi nga naay ikapuli nga mga unit nga dili sad sila masakitan," Jamaca added.
The 20-seater e-jeepneys cost P1.4 million each, while the 25-seater is worth P1.6 million. The vehicles are available in manual and automatic variants.
City Councilor Teodulfo Lao Jr. Took not of the proposal to replace the city’s old jeepneys but said the proposal still has a long way to go.
Lao said the City Council has yet to receive any formal letter by the Australian company.
Lao said this plan will all be consolidated as they craft a local transport routing plan for the city.
"Ato pang tan-awon kay gahimo man ta ug local transport routing plan. All issues of our transport system in the city will be discussed in the transport routing plan, but this is a very good proposal because environment-friendly sad siya and it will be given free, so we'll see," he added. (Elena Gomez, MSU-Marawi intern)