CHEAPER OPTION The Hilux 2WD has a Euro 4-compliant engine, CCTV cameras and air-conditioning. —Photo from DOTR
MANILA, Philippine — A prototype of the modernized public utility vehicle (PUV) designed by Toyota Motor Philippines Inc. (TMPI) — under the same model as its Hilux pickup — was unveiled by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Sunday.
The Class 1 PUV would cost franchise operators P998,000 apiece, which the DOTr argued was a bargain for a Hilux capable of seating 12 passengers, offering free Wi-Fi and a fully air-conditioned cabin.
“Modernization is not expensive, provided that you make the right choice,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said at Sunday’s test run of the vehicle. “There is always a cheaper alternative.”
The government’s modernization program, which has given PUV operators until July 1 next year to replace their vehicles with Euro 4-compliant units, has been met with strong resistance from those who say that small-time operators will lose their jobs to corporations under the initiative.
The DOTr had asked Toyota to develop the Hilux PUV according to Class 1 specifications, as compared to more expensive Class 2 vehicles (costing up to P2.4 million), which could carry more than 22 commuters.
Class 1 vehicles should have a carrying capacity of between 9 and 22 people.
According to the DOTr, the Hilux 2WD has a Euro 4-compliant engine, closed circuit television cameras, a global positioning system, dash cameras and a person with disability-friendly cabin.