By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Can an ordinary jeepney driver earn as much as P7,000 a day to sustain his family and pay his loan for the purchase of a modern jeepney worth P2.8 million?

This question was grilled on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) during the hearing on Wednesday of the House Transportation panel on the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

“Based on [state-run bank] Landbank computation of granting loans at 6% annual interest payable for seven years and P2.8 million per unit, a cooperative would need to raise P40,000 monthly to pay for each unit. This amount excludes fuel, facilities, cooperative management, maintenance, and other mandatory expenses. Each unit would need to earn P4,000 to P5,000 a day for these expenses [of loan payment and maintenance], excluding the amount that the driver will earn. If drivers are looking at earning P1,500 or P2,000 per day, that would be P7,000 per day,” 1 Rider party-list Representative Bonifacio Bosita noted.

But LTFRB Teofilo Guadiz III could hardly confirm if Bosita’s computation was accurate when asked by lawmakers.

“The computation is based on the acquisition cost of P2.8 million. We have [modern] jeepneys that cost P980,000 [each]…I would not say it is not accurate if the cost of a vehicle is P2.8 million [per unit],” Guadiz retorted.

This response, however, angered the House Committee on Transportation chairperson Romeo Acop.

 “Nagdedepensa ka agad eh. Yes or no, accurate ba iyon?” he asked Guadiz.

The LTFRB chief then said that he could not respond categorically to such a question.

Guadiz hastened to add that there are cheaper units.

On Sunday (January 7), Tulfo charged that the purchase of Chinese-made jeeps reeks of corruption since it costs less to produce modern jeepneys in the Philippines.

He noted that imported jeepneys from China cost between P2.6 million to P2.9 million per unit, which is more expensive than a local unit amounting between P900,000 to P985,000.

Guadiz pointed out that jeepney cooperatives should fully handle the process, and they could buy from any manufacturer, whether local, from Japan, or China, since the government would not meddle in this.

(el Amigo/MNM)

“HATAW” ang tawag sa mga pasaway na jeepney drivers na kung makaasta ay parang sarili nila ang kalsada at walang respeto sa mga batas ng kalsada at sa kanilang mga kapwa motorista.

Ito ang naaktuhan ng Maharlika NuMedia sa bahaging ito ng Quirino Ave. sa Quezon City, malinaw na makikita ang tahasang pag-counterflow ng mga jeepney driver na patungong Novaliches, Blumentritt kung kaya nakisali na rin ang mga pribadong sasakyan at motorsiklo.

Napag-alaman din ng MNM na nawawala ang mga enforcer o kahit na isang tauhan man lang sana ng barangay na dapat sana’y nagpapatupad ng kaayusan sa trapiko sa mga lugar kung saan madalas mangyari ang mga aksidente dulot ng mga pasaway na pampasaherong jeepney drivers na gumagamit ng maling linya.

Nakunan din ng mismong video Man-On-The-Street (MOTS) photographer/videographer at MNM reporter na si Benj Cuaresma na nagtiyagang umantabay mula alas-3 ng hapon hanggang alas-7 ng gabi upang maipakita mismo sa atin kung gaano kadelikado ang ginagawang counterflow ng mga jeep at kung paano nila nilalabag ang mga batas sa trapiko, at walang respeto sa kanilang kapwa motorista.

(ai/mnm)

Kinalap ni Benjie Cuaresma

NAGKAROON ng iba’t ibang reaksyon ang mga jeepney driver at isang opisyal ng Bagong Silang Cooperative hinggil sa Pantawid Pasada program ng pamahalaan sa ilalim ng Public Transport Program.

Ayon sa jeepney drivers, iilan lamang sa kanila ang nakatanggap ng P6,500 na subsidiya mula sa gobyerno, at ito ang nagdulot ng pag-aalala sa kanilang hanay.

Ayon sa kanila, ang halagang P6,500 ay nakalaan lamang sa mga operator, at wala o kulang ang ayuda para sa mga driver.

Hindi lahat ng operator ay nagbibigay ng sapat na bahagi ng subsidiya sa kanilang mga driver, kahit na sila ang nagpapakahirap sa kalsada.

Binanggit din nila ang pagkakaiba ng P10,000 na subsidiya para sa mga bagong jeepney kumpara sa mga tradisyonal na jeepney. Inaasahan sana nila na magiging patas ang pamamahagi ng tulong pinansyal mula sa gobyerno.

Nakuha rin sa eksklusibong panayam ni Benj Cuaresma ng MNM ang mga opinyon ng mga indibidwal na nakatambay sa isang malaking jeepney terminal sa Bayan ng Novaliches, Quezon City.

(ai/mnm)