Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looking at the possibility of making traditional jeepneys for delivery services, which became popular amid COVID-19 lockdown.
Roque said in a televised briefing on Tuesday that he learned the plan from DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade.
“Mayroon din silang plano na gawing delivery service iyong ating mga jeepneys kasi nga hindi pupuwedeng sakyan because hindi pupuwede ang social distancing,” Roque said.
(They also have plans to make jeepneys available for delivery service since they cannot ferry passengers because it is hard to observe social distancing inside the jeep.)
Roque also made a call to speed up the jeepney modernization program.
“Iyong jeepney modernization ay siguro po pabibilisin para iyong mga mawawalan ng trabaho sa traditional jeepneys ay pupuwedeng mag-shift to iyong mga modern jeepneys,” Roque said.
(Maybe we should catalyze the jeepney modernization so those who would lose their jobs in traditional jeepneys could shift to modern jeepneys.)
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Jeepney phaseout continues
DOTr earlier said that the traditional jeepney phaseout would continue despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis in the Philippines.
Alberto Suansing, the senior consultant for DOTr, said in an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News that the phaseout of old jeepneys would push through this 2020.
“It’s true that there is a plan to phase out traditional jeepneys, and they knew it will come because, since 2017, we have been talking with the jeepney operators and their leaders,” Suansing said.
Jeepney operators were given three years to comply with the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, he added.
He, however, clarified that old jeepney operators and drivers could still operate this year if the government would extend the deadline until December.
According to Suansing, there are more than 2,000 modernized jeepneys in Metro Manila.
Jeepney drivers as contact tracers
Some jeepney associations also objected to the government’s idea of hiring drivers as “contact tracers” of COVID-19.
Roque earlier said the government is looking at providing livelihood to jeepney drivers.
However, jeepney organizations such as PISTON, FEJODAP, and ACTO rejected the idea of having drivers as contact tracers because it is dangerous. The drivers also do not have skills for the medical process, the groups added.