22/09/2024
Hoping for more MPUVs for our city 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Some Cities in Mindanao that now slowly adopting intra-city modern public-utility vehicles (MPUV) or commonly known as "modern jeepneys" for their local mass transport system.
These intra-city transport offers public ride from the city's downtown to several villages and Barangays.
These public transport upgrade were pushed since 2016 as part of the transport modernization program by the government that aims to modernize the local transportation through MPUVs.
A MPUVs must be at least sported with Euro-4 engine compliant, or is powered by renewable energy such as hybrid and electric powered vehicles.
Usually, the idea of intra-city jeepneys happens on Highly Urbanized Cities (HUC), with high demand for local mass transport. However, in recent years, component cities like Koronadal, Digos and Dipolog now has intra-city jeepneys that serves for their local mass transport system, alongside with tricycles and autorickshaws.
It is to note that the list we made here doesn't include inter-provincial and inter-city MPUVs that goes beyond the city borders (i.e. Pagadian City - Dumingag).
Notably, there are 8 cities in Mindanao that has intra-city MPUVs.
Majority of these intra-city MPUVs uses Class-2 MPUV, an air-conditioned modern jeeps with jeepney style seating layout. While modern jeeps with longer routes utilizes Class-3 MPUV, a modern jeep with a seating layout similar to coach buses. There are also a few Class-1 MPUV in these cities, modern jeeps that are usually non air-conditioned, or smaller in terms of size and capacity.
Of all these cities, General Santos was the most advanced by adopting e-jeepneys for their jeepney modernization. However, their e-jeepneys happens to be non air-conditioned MPUV, which classifies itself under Class-1 MPUV.
Dipolog City is the most recent city to have an intra-city MPUVs, with the help of Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. - Dipolog to provide and operate its Sicayab - City Hall - Diwan route.
Still, some of these cities have traditional jeepneys, as most franchises for these jeepneys started, renewed, or entered service in 2010s and doesn't necessarily to be immediately replace with modern ones. But time when these jeepney franchises are deemed for a renewal, the traditional jeepneys are required to be replaced with MPUVs.
The cities of Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan are the remaining cities in Mindanao that has traditional jeepneys with intra-city operations.
General Santos City has been the most compliant so far, with almost 100% of their jeepneys has been replaced with MPUVs.
Meanwhile, Davao City, having not on this list, happens to have their High Priority Bus System (HPBS) which will launch soon, making the city exempted to the jeepney modernization program by the government. This is because their traditional jeepneys will soon be rationalized and replaced with citybuses and coach buses. However, there are some sightings and operators of Class-1 MPUVs in the city, but these will eventually be replaced with citybuses under the HPBS program.
On the other hand, Zamboanga City is having a similarly proposed HPBS program, but the city didn't require to replace their traditional jeepneys into city and coach buses. Once implemented in the city by 2028, MPUVs in the city will co-exist with citybuses and coach buses that will ply within the city's borders. However, it is noted that Zamboanga City does have one local bus company that offers intra-city mass transport service.
Photo Credits:
LS Transport Photography, in behalf of Pinoy Bus Fanatic
Timothy Bus Pitik Photographs, in behalf of Pinoy Bus Fanatic
Pinoy Bus Fanatic
Jhe Photography, in behalf of Mindanao Bus Photography
Koronadal Developments
Mindanao Transportation Cooperative
ABS CBN News
Philippine News Agency
