Unconsolidated jeeps considered colorum if they ply routes, says DOTr exec

Unconsolidated jeepneys are now deemed colorum after the consolidation of public utility vehicles into cooperatives closed on Wednesday.

“Yes, considered colorum ang hindi nakapag-consolidate. Hindi sila illegal unless pumasada sila,” Department of Transportation spokesperson Jonathan Gesmundo told GMA News Online in a message.

(Yes, those who did not consolidate are considered colorum. They are not illegal unless they operate.)

“Bibigyan sila ng due process: show cause order bakit hindi nag-consolidate. Kapag pumasada pa rin, saka huhulihin. Wala hulihan bukas,” he added.

(They will be given due process: show cause order why they didn't consolidate. If they still operate anyway, they will be arrested. There will be no apprehension tomorrow.)

Transport group PISTON said that it was “daunting” that on Labor Day the jeepney drivers and operators who refuse to join the government's Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program became illegal.

“This supposed program, instead of supporting informal transport workers, burdens them with unjust and oppressive requirements,” PISTON said in a statement.

“It prioritizes profit over people, leaving the future of these informal public transport workers hanging in the balance,” it added.

For PISTON, the program places the burden of climate change mitigation on the workers when “the world's biggest polluters, the US and China,” as well as large multinational corporations should be held accountable.

“This Labor Day, we reiterate: workers' rights, not franchise consolidation, are what's non-negotiable. We demand a pro-people, worker-led just transition built on the foundation of social justice and climate justice, not a haphazard 'modernization' program that disregards the needs and welfare of transport workers,” PISTON said.

Impact on commuters

United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) president RJ Javellana told GMA News Online the reduction in the number of operating jeepneys may affect commuters.

“Dahil ang jeep po ay poor man's vehicle, ibig sabihin yung mga Pilipino na nagtitipid, mga walang pera, jeep talaga ang pangunahing sinasakyan. So ibig sabihin, mas maraming kababayan natin ang mas mahihirapan,” he said in an interview.

(Because the jeep is a poor man's vehicle, that means for Filipinos who save money, and those who don't have money, jeeps are the main vehicles. So that means, more of our countrymen will face more struggles.)

Aside from this, Javellana urged the government to provide a guarantee that minimum fare in jeepneys will not increase amid reports that it may soar to around P30 to P40.

“Dapat maglabas ng assurance ang ating gobyerno na kung magkakaroon ng modernisasyon, hindi dapat magbago ang presyo ng singil sa pamasahe para maproteksyunan natin yung milyong-milyong mga commuters,” he said.

(Our government should issue an assurance that if there is modernization, the fare should not change so that we can protect millions of commuters.)

Javellana also expressed concern that if colorum jeepneys persist in operating and they are apprehended by authorities, commuters will be forced to get off in the middle of the trip and be stranded.

According to Javellana, the impact of the PUVMP could also trigger inflation, increasing the prices of basic goods, water, and electricity.

Due to this, Javellana urged the government to study the program before implementation with definite calculations and not just experimentations.

Phaseout

Started in 2017, the PUVMP aims to replace jeepneys with vehicles that have at least a Euro 4-compliant engine to lessen pollution. It also aims to replace units that are not deemed roadworthy.

A modern jeepney unit costs over P2 million, an amount that even state-run banks LandBank and Development Bank of the Philippines said was too expensive for PUV drivers and operators.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier said that the agency was firm on the April 30 deadline, Tuesday, and there will be no more extensions as directed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

In a week or two, unconsolidated operators and drivers will be notified that their franchises have been revoked. —NB, GMA Integrated News