Some jeepney drivers in Pangasinan said they prefer repairing traditional jeeps instead of shifting to modernized public utility vehicles (PUVs), citing the high cost of the program.

Eddie Caridad, a jeepney driver who has been on the road for more than two years, said buying a modernized jeepney is not an option for now.

“Ayaw ko muna kasi mahirap yung hanapbuhay ng driver tas yung may-ari ng jeep kawawa sila. Tapos nakikita ko yung modernized, parang parehas din kasi may mga usok din eh,” he said.

Caridad estimated the price of a modern jeepney at around P3 million, far higher than the P300,000 to P400,000 cost of a traditional jeep.

One Pangasinan Transport Federation (OPTF) President Bernard Tuliao echoed the drivers’ concerns.

“Dito sa area namin, mga short distance kasi, mahirap namin talagang bayaran yung modernized… tapos dito lang din iikot-ikot na lang kami at minimum fare so mahirapan kami doon sa hulugan na buwanan,” he said.

Instead of full modernization, the OPTF is asking the government to fund repairs of old jeepneys.

“Instead na modernized, yung talagang i-rehab na lang yung mga jeep natin, yung mga sira-sira talagang ipagagawa… so yung panawagan namin noon pa na rehabilitation na lang,” Tuliao added.

For its part, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Region 1 (LTFRB-1) said it is finalizing local public transport route plans and giving additional subsidies to ease the burden of modernization.

“Meron din tayong kasama nung programa yung Service Contracting Program kung saan mini-measure natin yung pagbiyahe nung kooperatiba… Pag nagawa nila yun then the government can really give them additional monetary support,” LTFRB-1 regional director Cristal Sibayan said.

The OPTF said some drivers are open to transitioning if the government allows them to pay for the modern units over a period of 10 years. At present, 478 modern jeepneys are already operating across the Ilocos Region.