I rode EV jeepneys back in 2018 daily while I was still working a desk job. While they’re certainly more environment-friendly, convenient (I can finally put my Beep card to good use), and retained the aesthetics of traditional jeep (contrary to the incorrect criticism that the look is going extinct), it’s actually quite nightmarish as a commuter during rush hours.
Since drivers still generate profit by hitting their “boundary,” the age-old problem of jeepneys stuffing their vehicles more than the ideal capacity is still rampant. This is twice as problematic with e-jeeps because windows are kept closed due to the AC. So, it’s tight and there’s little to no airflow. To make things worse, drivers also try to save fuel by turning the AC low.
Basically, if the government wants jeepney drivers to roll with modernization, they need to address the elephant in the room, and that’s their daily wage. They’re not going to upgrade their jeep unless the financing options make sense. They’re not going to agree to a fixed salary (another part of the modernization program) because they make way more money with the current system that incentivizes ferrying more passengers. Government never addresses any of these issues and just trots around the same old “ThE enVirOnMeNt” talking point that other Filipinos parrot, as if they enjoy driving a smoke-belching, gas-guzzling heavy steel tank.