Amid concerns on the shortage of public utility vehicles when the face-to-face classes resume this school year, the Beep Transport disclosed on Friday, July 22, that it is acquiring at least 300 modernized jeepneys which will be lease out to both school service providers and jeepney operators to give transport to thousands of students in Metro Manila.
Lawyer Vigor Mendoza II, chairperson and president of the Beep Transport, said the additional fleet of modernized jeepneys to be lease out will guarantee that students will have a convenient way of going to school and returning to their homes safely.
Vice President and Education Sec. Sara Duterte-Carpio earlier said that the Department of Education will push for full face-to-face in both private and public schools by November this year.
Mendoza said they are aware of the difficulties that students would face when face-to-face classes resumes so this early, they already started acquiring modernized jeepneys that will be leased to school service providers and those with shuttle agreement with various schools.
“These school service providers disappeared in the past two years due to the pandemic. So, in order to prepare for the opening of classes which will be face-to-face, we hope that this acquisition will re-energize the shuttle and school service system,” said Mendoza.
In choosing modernized jeepneys, Mendoza said it is in line with the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) of the Department of Transportation.
Mendoza, however, said the mode of payment for the students will still be discussed.
"Of course we would like to use automatic fare collection (AFC) systems so that it would be easier compared to the usual monthly mode of payment. We understand the economic hardship now so we want to make the mode of payment as affordable and as comfortable for the parents,” said Mendoza.
AFC systems is a smartcard-based contactless back-to-back solution for payments and fare collection for buses and jeepneys. Instead of paying the fare directly through cash, ticket vending machines are used as well as through online services or other methods.
Automatic fare collection systems are important because they make public transit affordable. AFC systems have also allowed agencies to provide their riders with 'best fare' options in a transparent and useful way.
What is important now, according to Mendoza, is that the acquisition of at least 300 modernized jeepneys will serve as an assurance of sufficient transport services before the resumption of face-to-face classes by November.
Mendoza met with at least 30 investors on the project and all of them have expressed their willingness to ensure a better transportation system in the country.
"We have enough time to put the funding together. Our investors enthusiastic and we are happy that the fruits of our labor in the past months would be realized,” said Mendoza.
“Our investors are our long-time partners who also want to witness the modernization and improvement of our transport system,” he stressed.