131 modernized jeepneys and taxis for Cebu

[Mike J]

Nice to see these new vehicles entering the market and replacing some of the old jeepneys which had become rolling smudge pots. 

https://ph.yahoo.com/news/131-modernized-jeepneys-taxis-ply-104600632.html

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB 7) introduced a fleet of modern public utility jeepneys and premium taxis on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.

LTFRB 7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said the vehicles which include 117 modern jeepneys and 14 premium taxis are from five cooperatives that were awarded franchises.

LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said it was the largest unit launched at one time in the entire Philippines.

“We launched 131 units today and if I may say, the single biggest launch of modernized units in the Philippines since the start of the program,” said Delgra in a mix of Cebuano and English.

Delgra said Montealto broke his own record set in the third quarter of 2021 when the LTFRB 7 launched more than 80 modernized jeepneys.

Delgra then challenged other LTFRB regional directors nationwide to continue to push for the modernization program in their respective areas of responsibility to develop and increase the number of modernized units and make them visible to the people.

“There is one single objective in our modernization program — to provide safe, dependable and comfortable public transport to our passengers,” Delgra said.

Montealto for his part said the 117 modernized units under the cooperatives United Drivers-Operators Transport Cooperative (Udotco), Mandaue Transport Cooperative (MTC), Lapu-Lapu Mandaue Drivers-Operators Transport Cooperative (Lamadotrasco), and Kalunasan Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative (Kodtrasco) will ply 11 routes from Cebu City to the towns of Lilo-an and Consolacion, Cebu City to Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City to Mandaue and Cebu City.

While the 14 premium taxis of Kaluha Transport Cooperative may operate anywhere in Cebu province.

Montealto said as many as 1,030 units of modernized jeepneys are currently operating in Central Visayas with majority based in Cebu.

A total of 850 premium taxis are also operating in the region.

Delgra said starting on Friday, April 1, traditional jeepneys described as “road worthy” will be issued provisional authority to operate by their office but old and dilapidated units will no longer pass the inspection to be conducted by the Land Transportation Office.

As an incentive to cooperatives who responded to government’s call to modernize, the LTFRB issued seven-year franchises instead of the usual five-year franchise before renewal.

The period also matches the cooperatives’ bank loan term of seven years for the purchase of their new units.

[BrettGC]

Nostalgically this saddens me, but it is a good thing.  

Next step actually enforcing safety standards? 

[BrettGC]

They're Hino's, good, solid vehicles.  I'm pretty surprised they didn't go with something from China that would be cheaper but not last as long.  My old company had a brief foray into the Chinese manufactured commercial vehicle arena; it was not pretty.  They do not enjoy being run 24/7.  

[OnMyWay]

58 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

Nostalgically this saddens me, but it is a good thing.  

Next step actually enforcing safety standards? 

53 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

They're Hino's, good, solid vehicles.  I'm pretty surprised they didn't go with something from China that would be cheaper but not last as long.  My old company had a brief foray into the Chinese manufactured commercial vehicle arena; it was not pretty.  They do not enjoy being run 24/7.  

So it appears that they are calling these air conditioned mini-buses "modernized jeepneys"?  @Jollygoodfellow are these the same buses in the main Cebu City bus system?  We might give them a try in a few months if I can figure out the system.

I googled and saw the same type of Hino bus being touted in 2017.  Euro 4.  I would be great if they had a natural gas fleet but I guess that is asking a lot.

As for safety, this type of bus should be safer than the old jeepneys???

[Jollygoodfellow]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

So it appears that they are calling these air conditioned mini-buses "modernized jeepneys"?  @Jollygoodfellow are these the same buses in the main Cebu City bus system?  We might give them a try in a few months if I can figure out the system.

I googled and saw the same type of Hino bus being touted in 2017.  Euro 4.  I would be great if they had a natural gas fleet but I guess that is asking a lot.

As for safety, this type of bus should be safer than the old jeepneys???

As l dont get out much all l can tell you that in my area, IT park they have the modern jeepneys which are minibuses plus since pandemic full size buses. Most of the full size were put in place and run by Ceres lines but as far as l know most have returned to normal province routes but some other company are supplying buses now. In this area I no longer see an old jeepney or at least not the real old ones.

Through the Jeepney terminal over the road several companies or co ops now have to routes of the old jeepneys. Often long lines of people waiting and terminal closes at 11pm and not like before which was 24/7 but I guess on April 1st when call centers are forced to work back in the office or lose tax perks then they will have run more public transport.

https://www.cebucity.gov.ph/bus-routes/                      https://www.phbus.com/cebu-brt-bus-service/

[hk blues]

We've had them in Iloilo for more than a year now.  They are comfortable and air conditioned and only 1php more expensive than the traditional jeepneys. Currently, they don't cover as many routes but hopefully this will improve.  They have certainly impacted on the jeepneys business which is a double-edged sword as we still need to rely on jeepneys but there are less of them around now.  

We also have some of the modern tricicads now but I've never ridden one and almost never see any.

[Huggybearman]

They began to appear in Cagayan de Oro about a year ago. There seems to be a lot more of them recently which is a good thing. But there are still a hell of a lot of smokey old jeepneys. At least things are moving in the right direction. I would also like to see more of the e-trikes like they have in Boracay. 

[Jollygoodfellow]

and this from today

LTFRB-7 launches 117 modern jeepneys in biggest single launch

MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — At least 117 modern public utility jeepneys (MPUJs) and 14 premium taxis were launched by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) along F. Zuellig Avenue in Mandaue City on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.

The activity was done in partnership with the Mandaue City Government and different transport groups.

Martin Delgra III, LTFRB Chairman, said the launching was the single biggest launch of modernized units in the Philippines since the program began in 2017.

Delgra said before, the single biggest launch involved 80 modern jeepneys in Cebu City last year.

LTFRB-7 Regional Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said 60 of the 117 modern jeepneys will ply the four new intra-city routes in Mandaue City and the near 60 units will serve the seven inter city-municipality routes of the rest of Metro Cebu.

Montealto said there are now about 1,030 modern jeepneys and 1,000 traditional jeepneys plying Cebu’s streets.

Delgra said all traditional PUJs in the region will be replaced soon with modern jeepneys.

Delgra said after April 1, if the remaining traditional PUJs are still roadworthy, they will be given a short time under the provisional authority.

Delgra said the provisional authority of the new units will be made into a franchise, a certificate of public convenience will be issued if they meet the minimum requirement of each route.

Operators are given until March 31 to consolidate into either a cooperative or a corporation to avail themselves of the loan under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

Montealto clarified that the transition would not mean a phase-out of the traditional jeepneys because the TPUJ operators were the same operators who applied for modernization.

Read more: https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/432729/ltfrb-7-launches-117-modern-jeepneys-in-biggest-single-launch#ixzz7P0Wt5Fxv