AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee is prodding the government to extend the payment term for modern jeeps, saying this would make the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program "acceptable" to drivers and operators.

Lee made this to transportation agencies during the House Committee on Transportation's public briefing Thursday, March 9 on the controversial program.

According to the Bicol lawmaker, the government ought to address the high and unaffordable cost of modern jeepneys. He said that a jeepney driver or operator who earns about P600 to 750 a day cannot afford to buy a new jeepney worth P1.6-2.3 million.

“We should provide an acceptable paying scheme, which must be just, fair and humane. They should be allowed to pay for a modern jeepney in 10 to 15 years instead of seven years or the government can provide a higher and adequate subsidy," he told transportation agencies during the briefing.

By extending the payment term, government can address the worries of traditional PUJ drivers and operators that they might get buried in debt during the acquisition of the pricey modern jeeps, Lee said.

Meanwhile, Lee also insisted that an individual driver or operator who does not wish to be part of a cooperative should be allowed to continue on this livelihood without having to register as a corporation sole since it needs stringent and burdensome requirements like having to post a substantial amount for bond.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chair Teofilo Guadiz III said they will consider Lee’s suggestions in revisiting the modernization program.

PUJ drivers and operators are being asked to organize or consolidate themselves into cooperatives before they can avail of government subsidy for the purchase of modern jeeps.