Jeepney drivers fight Marcos' 'unjust' modernization push as deadline nears
Jeepney drivers kick off a two-day strike as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sets a hard deadline for public utility vehicle operators to modernize their fleet.
Full story: https://www.rappler.com/business/jeepney-drivers-fight-marcos-jr-modernization-push-deadline-nears-december-31-2023/
Full story: https://www.rappler.com/business/jeepney-drivers-fight-marcos-jr-modernization-push-deadline-nears-december-31-2023/
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 Jeepney drivers kick off a two-day strike as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sets a hard
00:06 deadline for public utility vehicle operators to modernize their fleet.
00:10 Jeepney drivers' group Piston insists it does not oppose giving the iconic jeepney
00:14 an upgrade, especially as old models release hazardous emissions.
00:19 But Piston argues the program will be too costly for drivers and operators.
00:24 Various groups have even called the scheme "anti-poor" and "unjust."
00:28 Modern jeepneys cost between 1.3 to 3 million pesos and cooperatives take out loans to pay
00:33 for these units, with some struggling to repay these loans.
00:37 The government is offering to subsidize the cost of each modern jeepney, previously 160,000
00:42 pesos, but it can go up to 360,000 pesos, which is just 28 percent of the cost of a
00:47 modern jeepney.
00:49 Piston says only 26 percent of jeepneys have consolidated, affecting some 60,000 drivers
00:55 and 25,000 operators.
00:56 [Music]