A transport cooperative in Baguio City has recently launched a fleet of 49 new modernized public utility jeepneys (PUJs) this week.
The Irisan Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (IJODA), servicing Baguio’s largest barangay of Irisan, owns and will operate the 49 new modern jeeps.
The fleet consists of 48 Class 2 units and one Class 3 unit, which will serve routes including Baguio Plaza – Fernandino Subdivision (Irisan) and vice versa; Baguio Plaza – UP Village (Gate) – Marville (Irisan) and vice versa; Baguio Plaza – Irisan and vice versa; Baguio Plaza – Balenben and vice versa; and Baguio City – Lamtang and vice versa.
Class 2 units are the most common modern jeeps plying the country’s roads, and cost on average P2.5 million per unit.
The launching of 49 modern PUJs is part of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), a move that has pushed through despite constant criticism and regular protests from various transport sector organizations.
Licensed jeepneys numbering 2,164 with individual franchises to operate as PUVs are accounted for in Baguio, and 2,070 (96 percent) of them have formed joint transport cooperatives as part of their consolidation, which would be required to purchase “modern jeepneys” or minibuses to replace the traditional jeepneys.
To date, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has over 300 modernized PUJs and utility vehicle express (UVE) units operating across its mountainous terrain.
