Never before in our history has public transportation been adversely affected. The fear of infections has led to social distancing and put the majority of the populace on a lockdown, greatly decimating commuter traffic in recent months. And maybe the one most affected is the jeepney sector. Unlike their counterparts such as the bus sector, which are mostly run as established businesses, jeepney operations are mom and pop affairs that are sustained on a day-to-day basis. The long lull has pushed them to the brink. Short of the discovery of a vaccine that can bring us back to life as before, this period we are now in might see indeed the death of the old jeepneys.
Even before the pandemic, the jeepneys were already barely surviving. Facing a government that was undeterred in its push to modernize, the sector was also suffering from a reduction of ridership in recent years. One reason was the proliferation of UV Express vans, most of them “colorums” or unregulated, which sprouted in most cities. These vehicles had the advantage of comfort as they were air- conditioned, can either take the role of a taxi or a jeepney stopping anywhere for their passengers at very much close or the same fare per kilometer as the jeepneys. On another end was the growing motorcycle option for the Filipino commuter, with the easy price entry to acquire two-wheeled vehicles, and the advent of motorcycle ride sharing that was somewhat on its way to being legalized just before the lockdown.
Entering the new normal, jeepneys find themselves in a more difficult position than other transport modes. Because of their configuration, the old jeepneys expose commuters to more person-to-person interaction even if social distancing and partitions are in place. Jeepneys also operate under a boundary system, which means this can only work if quotas that are now practically impossible, again because of fewer commuters, are attained. Lastly, bicycle riding is now widely accepted as it provides a cheaper and safer mode of transport in these Covid times, targeting the same commuter segment being served by the jeepneys.
Jeepney organizations are thus in a bind on where to take their constituents. Their natural reaction is to ask for government subsidy, which can only work in the short term. Not to mention that the government does not have the money to do this sufficiently.
So, what then is left for the jeepney community to move on in order to survive? Participating in the modernization program is one, as modern jeepneys seem to have a guaranteed place in the new normal given their ample room for social distancing. But not all current operators can afford the cost to modernize, or can be accommodated in the program. Those who cannot modernize need to look for other options.
And this may be the area that government can come in to help the jeepney sector—helping them “pivot” and take advantage of the resilient nature of the jeepneys. After all, the jeepneys were a creation of a “pivot” situation after the last world war. Government is in the best position to help them “pivot” again by identifying new opportunities for the jeepney sector in other sectors, training them for their new roles, and connecting them to potential partners and users. There are so many areas for these nimble Filipino mechanical creations that can easily adapt to its required mission. Jeepneys can be used as mobile sari-sari stores operated by displaced supermarkets, which would do well for people locked in their homes. Restaurants, dry goods companies, and even pharmaceuticals can replicate this scheme. Jeepneys can be used as shuttle services by small to medium enterprises that cannot afford company vehicles or would rather not allow their employees to ride in public transport that would have a higher risk of infection. Jeepneys may be employed by the government as their mobile errand cars for their various requirements—maybe to ferry medical personnel and social workers or to fill in as mobile contact tracers, among others.
There are many other possible uses for the jeepneys if one would think further. But it would need the government to hold them by the hand. Not by providing subsidies that can only last for so short a time but rather helping them pivot into other roles.
Thomas “Tim” Orbos was formerly with the DOTr and the MMDA. He is an alumnus of the McCourt School of Public Policy of Georgetown University and the MIT Sloan School of Management. He can be reached via e-mail at thomas_orbos@sloan.mit.edu