The minimum fare in modern jeeps is likely to hit P30 to P40.
This is what 1Rider Partylist Rep. Bonifacio Bosita said at the hearing of the House Committee on Transportation.
According to Bosita, this is necessary to recover the money paid for the purchase of a modern jeep.
Bosita said that even if the government gives a subsidy to those who buy a modern jeep, P40 per month is still needed to recover the P2.8 million that was purchased for the unit.
In addition to this are expenses such as crude oil and drivers’ wages.
Every modern jeep should earn P7,000 per day, so a P30-40 fare is needed.
Meanwhile, Bosita also encouraged those in the transportation departments to consider purchasing Filipino-made vehicles for the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program.
In the House’s motu proprio inquiry regarding the said program, the lawmaker said that Filipino products are much cheaper compared to those from other countries.
Operators with local manufacturers will spend P17,000 per month in installments compared to P40,000 per month in installments for imported vehicles.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Teofilo Guadiz agrees with this, where they give operators the freedom to shop.
Fare in modern jeep to reach P30-40
It is now feared that thousands of dryers will lose their jobs as a result. However, according to the government, such drivers can still be absorbed by cooperatives that have caught up with consolidation.
“Sila po ay pwedeng lumipat sa mga kooperatiba or korporasyon para ituloy ang kanilang hanap-buhay,” said Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) chairperson Andy Ortega
“‘Yun po ang ating objective sa OTC: kailangan pong bigyan sila ng trabaho para matulungan natin sila para sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan.”
Under the PUVMP, individual operators will be required to surrender their franchises in exchange for consolidating within cooperatives or corporations.
And for those who fail to enter the program, the government is said to have prepared help. Because they won’t be able to operate anymore after January.
“Iba-iba po ang rason [ng mga hindi nagkonsolida]. Sa dulo po nagdesisyon sila at nirerespeto namin ang desisyon ng mga operators,” added Ortega.
“For all operators na hindi po sumama sa programa, mayroon pong tulong na ibibigay ang [Department of Social Welfare and Development]. At dito naman po sa PUVMP, meron pong programa through TESDA and [Department of Labor and Employment] para makatulong sa operators.”
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