Modern ‘king of the road’ sparks debate on FB

Old vs New The green jeepneys (top) used to transport Senate employees have been scrapped to make way for the modern, air-conditioned ‘King of the Road’ which will start plying today the PICC to Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange route for a minimum fare of P10. —DEXTER CABALZA, SENATE EMPLOYEES TRANSPORT SERVICE COOPERATIVE

After the Department of Transportation (DOTr) rolled out on Monday the first-ever fleet of “modernized jeepneys” under its Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), netizens asked: Is it a jeepney or a bus?

In a ceremony, DOTr and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) officials awarded the certificate of approved route for the 15 jeepneys to the Senate Employees Transport Service Cooperative (Setsco).

Setsco was one of three cooperatives preselected to participate in the PUVMP’s initial implementation.

Setsco board secretary Marilou Binanitan said Development Bank of the Philippines gave the coop an initial loan of P24.7 million, payable in seven years.

The diesel-powered, Euro 4-compliant, air-conditioned jeepneys manufactured by Isuzu can carry 22 passengers.

Starting today, they will ferry passengers on the Senate loop, starting at the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, then the Government Service Insurance System office, SM Mall of Asia, up to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange and vice versa.

Fare rates P10 to P16

The LTFRB set the minimum fare at P10 and P16 for the 7-kilometer route.

After their rollout, the DOTr Facebook page was peppered with comments from netizens who said the jeepneys bore no resemblance to the traditional Filipino vehicle. One said the new jeeps were more like buses.

But Transport Undersecretary Tim Orbos said the vehicles were Class 2 jeepneys under the PUVMP, as approved by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The DTI’s jeepney classification system was based on the standards set by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.