This happened during our immersion where I rode a jeepney to deliver the products we are selling. The weather is scorching and I forgot to bring an umbrella with me. I am already soaked with my sweat and my body is getting sticky. To my desperation, I immediately wave my hands from the side of the road as I noticed the approaching jeepney. The vehicle slowed down and I immediately sit beside him. He looked at me with confusion but I didn't give so much attention to that as I am busy fixing the goods I'm carrying. A moment later, I handed him my fare. After receiving the coins, he asked me a question.
"What is that? The one that you're carrying?", he pointed out the plastic bag with his lips. I answered him with enthusiasm telling him that we are currently selling online as our part of immersion.
"Oh, how's the experience?", he asked. I told him that it's pretty fun and exhausting at the same time.
He again asks some questions regarding our online selling. He is fun to talk with; smiling every time I respond to his curious inquiries. I noticed that he's the only one who asks questions and it's getting awkward so, I also started to ask him some questions.
"How's the transport since the pandemic, by the way?", he smiled and started to share his experience.
He said that during the lockdown, all of the public transport has been suspended. Jeepneys drivers, including him, had been affected. The only source of money at that time is the fund he borrowed from his acquaintances. Sometimes, when the money is not enough, they have no choice but to eat just one to two times a day. He waited for the subsidy of the government but he never received, even cents.
I can say that even though he's smiling, he can never hide the truth in his eyes. I am just looking at him the whole time. I don't know what to say or react.
Maybe he noticed it and immediately lifted the mood of the atmosphere. He laughed telling me how grateful he was when I rode on his jeep. I am the only passenger that time and upon glancing at the back, there were sacks of soil. I am confused.
He explained that he was on his way to deliver the soil to a client but he saw me waving at the side of the road. He let me jump on his vehicle because he thought I will ask something. I apologized for what happened and thank him for letting me hop in. I am still interested to talk with him but I already reached my destination.
I thanked him again. I get off and wave at him for the last time. As I see him getting far away from the place I am standing, I realized that I forgot to ask his name and check his plate number.
Almost 1-2 months after we encountered, I heard the news that the Jeepney Modernization Law will be pushed thru on March 30. This means all the traditional jeeps will, slowly, be removed on the roads. They will be replaced by a newer version of it which includes air-conditioned and solar panels.
Some of you may say that is not a bad idea but if you will analyze the situation, this will affect, not only the drivers but also us who uses public transport.
One unit of modernized jeep roughly cost 2 million. If the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will make a CCTV system, solar panels, and free wifi networks mandatory to every e- jeepney, the total cost of each vehicle may rose to 4 million. This amount of money is too expensive for ordinary people. Only the privileged sector can acquire the modern jeep.
Also, the maintaining and repair costs of e-jeepneys are more expensive than the traditional ones. It is designed to be repaired and maintained by the manufacturer unlike the traditional where the drivers themselves can do the tweaking.
The government promised that they will let the jeepney drivers borrow money from them. But of course, they still need to pay for it little by little for a long period of time.
If this jeepney modernization thing will be implemented, the commuters will also suffer. P20-25 per head (from P8-10), is the estimated cost of the fare. Given that there is a pandemic, 50% sitting capacity is mandated, the fare cost may increase to P40-50 per head. They need to increase the fare so they can catch up to the expenses of acquiring the new vehicle.
I remember the jeepney driver I talked to. He has no choice but to survive and earn money for his family. His jeepney is the only source of his income. The pandemic makes their life more difficult. I wonder what he feels right now knowing that he needs to sell his old vehicle to acquire the new version of it. Or will he sell it just to buy the required version or will he sell it just to have money to live?
This thought has bothered me ever since. Maybe fate brought us together so I can hear his story and make this an instrument to raise awareness of what is going on, what is reality.
Conclusion:
This action of government is anti-poor. The affected of this policy is the vast majority who are suffering from the effects of the ongoing pandemic. Lots of people lost their job and the prices of goods are higher than before. A drastic increase in fares is a burden to all of us.
The jeepney drivers had suffered enough. They have received little to no support from the government. Jeepney modernization must be stop or postponed somehow.
You may like my recent articles...
And it's stupid that they want to phase out the jeeps without a proper solution too. The transpo solutions they're making now won't even be useful until 2-5 years later