Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda (Rep. Salceda's office)

Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda has presented figures that should motivate anti-climate change crusaders to call for the production of cheaper modern jeepneys.

In a statement Thursday afternoon, April 13, the economist-lawmaker tackled the matter of carbon dioxide or CO2 emissions as it pertains to modern jeepneys versus traditional jeepneys that the former seek to replace.

Conventional wisdom says that modern jeepneys have less CO2 emissions than the old, traditional ones. And this isn't wrong.

But Salceda told the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to consider emissions “on a per capita basis".

This is primarily because more modern jeepneys “can accommodate fewer passengers than traditional jeepneys".

According to the number-crunching solon, a traditional jeepney produces some 0.33 kilograms (kg) of CO2 emissions per passenger per year, while the modern jeepneys would still produce some 0.25 kg per passenger due to smaller capacity.

“It’s a 31 percent saving in per passenger emissions for a vehicle that costs as much as 620 percent more. We need a cheaper, domestically manufactured jeepney that modernizes the traditional one," Salceda said.

Theoretically, having the choice of a cheaper modern jeepney will help broaden its use in the country, thereby magnifying the benefit of reduced emissions.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere warms the planet, causing climate change. Experts say this has triggered severe weather events, and that the Philippines is of high risk to such natural disasters.

Salceda said the government should first ensure that the domestic jeepney manufacturing sector is an option for the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, and assist it in producing cheaper but similarly modern and efficient units.

A modern jeepney is reported to cost as much as P2.8 million per unit.

“If we can bring the cost of the unit to P600,000 to P1 million, that becomes more realistic for both the jeepney operator, and on a cost-benefit basis. I think the domestic manufacturing sector can do it. But we need to support them," explained the Bicolano.