QUEZON City, Philippines (December 24) – Being the most popular means of transportation in the Philippines, the jeep plays a big role in our country. And the jeep is already part of our country’s identity and it’ll be a shame if we will be ending the already long route traveled by the jeep not only in our highways but also in our history.
Phasing-out the jeep is a not so good idea. Why? Because it will only result to chaos and more congested road. If the government will lessen the number of said public transport, then they should provide an alternative means for the people to ride, because not all people can make use of the MRT or LRT as their means of transportation. And for the people who can ride MRT or LRT but still choose to take the jeep because of the overcrowded train wagons, the government should provide more trains for the convenience of said commuters.
Since the phase-out plan will be on 2016, the government has still a lot of time to plan for their actions. They should think about their plan not only twice, not only thrice but as many times as they can, because they will not be the one who will suffer on those changes, it’s us.
Aside from us, the drivers of said mode of transportation are the ones who will be affected the most. Being a driver is the only thing they can do to support their family, but how they’ll be able to provide the needs of their children if the government will take away their livelihood? If the government will provide a compensation fee for every driver who will be affected by their plan and provide a better means of transportation for every passengers, then drivers and passengers might take consideration of their phase-out plan and they might be supportive of it as well. Because we can’t deny the fact that smoke from jeepney is bad for our environment.
Yes, the smoke and fumes caused by the jeep causes air pollution, and it also causes lung and heart diseases. And jeep drivers are not minding those negative effects because the only thing that they think about is their family. Jeepney drivers are selfish they say, because they are just causing pollution and more traffic in our country. Can you blame them? If that is the only work that they can do because they aren’t “qualified” for other jobs “offered” by our government? Can you blame them for having a decent and legal yet non-eco-friendly job?
The government should seriously consider all the possible outcomes of their plan, they should have an immediate solution if a problem arises after the implementation of this phase-out. Unless they are ready to face the rage of the people if their plan didn’t work the way they planned it.
Personally, I am not against the phase-out plan, but when you look at it on another point of view, you will see its negative effect to the people who will be affected the most. A plan should be for the benefit of the majority, not for the benefit of the majesty.
(written by Amabelle Lopez, edited by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)