In this file photo, jeepney drivers plying the Navotas-Divisoria route before the March 16, 2020, lockdown show signs asking for assistance. INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines—ACT Teachers Representative France Castro echoed the call of transport groups for the return of public utility vehicles as it not only contributed to hefty financial losses for jeepney drivers but it has also taken a toll on the commuting public.
In a statement Saturday, Castro said that while jeepney drivers have seen their income completely dissipate due to the lockdown brought upon by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, those who rely on public transport have resorted to using more expensive methods to get to their places of work.
“We deplore the continuing ban on jeepneys to ply to road. Jeepney drivers have been sacrificing 78 days of earning because of this ban by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Transportation with little to no aid provided to them by the government,” said Castro.
“The ongoing ban on jeepneys affects all workers, not just jeepney drivers. Thousands of commuters are forced to use more expensive modes of transportation, walk or use bikes to go to work.”
While some provinces around Metro Manila have allowed jeepneys to resume operations, the National Capital Region is still without any stable public transport with just a handful of buses, taxis, and transport network vehicle services allowed to ply the roads and take in commuters.
Castro cited Ibon Foundation’s research that one jeepney driver lost a total net income of P78,000 in the 13 weeks of the lockdown or P26,000 a month.
The government, Castro said, should shoulder the losses instead of pushing through with the jeepney modernization program that President Rodrigo Duterte has continued to push for.
Castro added that the current administration hasn’t done anything to address the mass transport situation and that it has gotten worse during the lockdown.
“The Duterte administration should be accountable for the hardship it has brought upon the Filipino people with its anti-people policies that does nothing to address the worsening problems in our transport system and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Castro.