Cebu-based cooperative to roll out 200 modern jeepneys in 2023

Central Visayas map

CEBU CITY — A Cebu-based cooperative on Monday announced it will deploy an additional 200 units of modern jeepneys in the Visayas beginning next year.

Macario Quevedo, spokesperson of the “People’s Jeep,” said the first 60 new units will be rolled out in January 2023.

People’s Jeep currently has 190 units of modern jeepneys in Metro Cebu which are operating routes in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu as well as in the City of Naga, south Cebu and Liloan town in the north.

People’s Jeep started its operations during the pandemic in 2020 and were given special permits to operate by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

At present, the units have their own franchises.

Of the 200 new units for 2023, at least 70 of these will be deployed in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental.

Quevedo called on the government to fast track the implementation of the modernization program of public transportation as their units are relatively affected by the continued operation of traditional jeepneys.

He said they were promised full implementation in Cebu but still there are many traditional jeepneys plying several routes in Metro Cebu, a pilot area of the modernization program.

“What is happening now, our competitors are the traditional jeepneys. We have higher fare than the traditional jeepney so the people prefer to ride those with lower fare,” Quevedo said.

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JPV