DOTr drops plan to phase out all 170k jeeps, will instead test PUJs for road-worthiness

The Department of Transportation has dropped its plan to phase out all the 170,000 public utility jeeps in favor of modern units, transportation officials said on Wednesday during the Senate deliberations on its P126.86-billion budget for 2020.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the sponsor of the DOTr's budget, told the interpellator Senator Grace Poe that the department was adopting her recommendation that the existing PUJs instead go through road worthiness tests.

“DOTr also announced that it will no longer be pushing for modernizing all 170,000 units of the PUVs. Instead it is adopting our recommendation to use road worthiness as a standard. Meaning, emissions, the safety, basically, the engine worthiness. Is this still going to be honored?” Poe asked

“They complied with your recommendation so all PUJs will be allowed to ply on the road as long as they pass the motor vehicle inspection system or road worthiness test,” Gatchlian said.

Poe thanked the DOTr for heeding the call.

“This is actually also for their sake. This is a lot more pragmatic for us, expedient. That if it is still plyable, if it’s safe, and if doesn’t have any adverse emissions, that it be allowed and it will also save a lot (of money),” Poe said.

The PUV modernization program aimed to phase out old 15-year-old or older jeepneys and replace them with Euro 4 compliant vehicles that can run on renewable energy.

The cost of modern PUJs ranges from P1 million to P2.2 million.

Only 2,595 PUJ units or 1.5 % have been modernized three years into the project.

“This is a bit off target. Is this the reason why there is no appropriation for PUV modernization?” Poe said.

Gatchalian said there was no fund for the activities for the PUV modernization program.

However, the funds to finance the modernization program is directly remitted to the financing  institutions such as  Landbank and Development Bank of the Philippines.

“In so far as the subsidy is concerned because the government will give them P80,000 for the modernization program. This is their equity, that equity will now be financed by the financial institutions,” Gatchalian said. —NB, GMA News