Previously, in this column, I wondered why only the jeepney drivers and operators are being forced to “modernize” when the jeepney is but a part of one of the most archaic and inefficient public transport system in the world.
The answer to that is quite obvious, as they are not only the most visible representatives of the sector, they are also only ones that can be bullied into submission. A law that requires them to “modernize” or else is exactly that and all it takes is for the Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board decide to selectively implement and enforce that law to the letter. That is what is happening to Bacolod City’s jeepney drivers, who should’ve seen this one coming. The LTO and LTFRB crackdowns begin anew soon, after a 2-week “ceasefire”.
If you come to think of it, true modernization entails the improvement of more than just one aspect of an system although the iconic jeepney will have to bite the modernization bullet sooner or later, there are other important of our public transportation system that needs attention.
If the first component is the jeepney, or the vehicle, the other remaining ones that will need to be upgraded are the passengers and then the general ecosystem.
We have to admit that we have one of the most chaotic transport systems in the world because of the Filipino commuter who can get on or off a PUV anywhere and anytime they please. In this country, everywhere is a stop, even the middle of intersections, primarily because there is no system and there are no rules.
If we want to modernize our public transport system, we cannot just pass the buck to the jeepney operators and drivers. A successful modernization effort will require upgrading all three components: the vehicle, the passenger, and the city infrastructure and public transport system.
If step two of modernization is making the “modern” jeepneys have designated stops where passengers can embark and disembark sounds simple, it is actually quite complicated if your come to think of it.
Assuming that government has forced our jeepneys to modernize, and we are actually serious about creating a better public transport system, the next easy task would be for LGUs to designate the stops. This isn’t so complicated as long as it can be enforced. All our mayors will need are experts to determine where the stops should be, which should neither be too close nor too far apart from each other.
Designated stops mean people will have to walk because they can no longer get on/off anywhere they please. Yes, it’s a pain, but that inconvenience is one of the costs of having a modern public transport system, as anyone who has commuted to a first world country can attest to. For this to happen safely and conveniently, sidewalks have to be made walkable and ideally, provided with cover to protect pedestrians and commuters from the elements, which will help encourage walkability.
Winning back our useless sidewalks and instilling the culture of walking among Filipinos might prove to be the most difficult aspect of this modernization effort.
On the infrastructure end, anyone who has tried walking on our sidewalks would see that it is practically impossible with all the obstacles and obstructions that our LGUs have turned a blind eye to for decades. An easy sidewalk test would be to challenge the town or city’s First Ladies to take a baby stroller and successfully use it on any sidewalk for at least 1 kilometer, without needing to get off the sidewalk/pedestrian lane and into the pavement. I’m willing to bet my walking shoes that not one of them would be able to do that. As long as that is not possible, the sidewalk is unusable by children, the elderly and PWD’s and that makes any public transport upgrade impossible. Our government spends so much money building and breaking up roads, endlessly pouring concrete, but our sidewalks are still useless for pedestrians. Is it because our public servants can’t be bothered to walk because of their SUV convoys?
As long as our sidewalks are dangerous and inconvenient to use, our cities will never be walkable and that will make any attempt to truly modernize the public transport system doubly difficult. Of course, if the definition of modernization is only limited to an airconditioned jeepney that still runs on fossil fuels, then government can already claim to have done its job.
But if we want to truly modernize the public transport system in this country, there is a lot of work left to be done because the “modern” jeepney is just the first step of many.*
