Some people were complaining about the inconveniences they experienced last Monday and Tuesday due to the nationwide strikes conducted by various transport groups, like the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) and Stop and Go Coalition. There were camps that were happy about the extra days off work and school, and also because of cleaner air and faster travel time on these days due to less traffic on the roads.
The drivers were protesting the government’s Public Utiligy Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program, saying that it is anti-poor since new vehicles would cost them “at least P1 million per unit,” an amount that jeepney drivers would not be able to raise. They are fighting for their survival, they said, their livelihood and the opportunity to give their families decent lives.
For its part, the government wants to replace old jeepneys, those 15 years and older, with new environment-friendly jeeps “with added safety features.” Around 180,000 jeepneys nationwide will have to be replaced, according to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
(LTFRB). In the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila, the jeepney is the most popular mode of public
transportation.
The proposed PUVs will have Euro 4 engines or electrically powered engines with solar panels as roofs. Part of the proposal is to equip each vehicle with speed limiters, a GPS navigation system, dashboard cameras, automatic fare collection system, Wi-fi and closed-circuit TV cameras. It would be pretty comfortable to have these units on the road, offering a welcome change for passengers who commute to and from work and school every day. However, even with a loan program in place, it would still be very difficult for most drivers and operators to cope with the costs and financial requirements of modernization.
The drivers and their groups acknowledge that there is definitely a need to improve the quality of the vehicles plying our public roads. However, they are not in favor of the current version of the phaseout program because of its strong “pro-business scheme.” They claim that only big capitalists would be able to afford the proposed “fleet management system,” which sets a minimum of 10 vehicles per franchise. Aside from the new franchise system, part of the modernization program is training for drivers and updates on new routes. The entire scheme is being planned for a 2020 implementation, and will be applied not only on jeepneys but also on other PUVs like buses and vans.
Definitely, there are portions of the current program that are sound and generally helpful for all concerned. However, there might be some areas that need to be discussed further to find common ground between the drivers/operators and officials from the government’s transportation department. While we cannot pass up opportunities that will modernize aspects of our lives, we have to look at whether the change is realistic and prioritizes the best interests of the common Filipino.
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Diesel engines can be made to run on natural gas with relatively small modifications (see “Swiss Researchers Make an 80-mpg Hybrid”). In a diesel engine, fuel and air are ignited not with a spark, as in gasoline engines, but by compressing them until they get hot enough to combust.Oct 8, 2013
Compressed natural gas is a clean-burning fuel. It is actually the cleanest of all fossil fuels. … CNG also produces 45% less hydrocarbons than gasoline. And although natural gas also produces greenhouse gases, it is considerably reduced compared to gasoline or diesel.
South Korea
For the purpose of improving air quality in the metropolitan area of Seoul, CNG buses were first introduced in July, 1997. By 2014, all Seoul buses were operating on CNG.[citation needed] Hyundai motor developed a CNG hybrid bus with 34.5% more-fuel efficiency and 30% lower pollution compared to CNG buses.[citation needed] As a result, Seoul city government plans to change to CNG hybrid buses for 2,235 low-bed disabled-friendly CNG bus in Seoul.[citation needed] CNG buses are operation in other major South Korean cities like Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju and Incheon.
Culled from various sources just to show that jeepney modernization can adopt CNG engine conversion while improving the iconic design of the jeepney.