What ails the jeepney?

By Nora Soriño

ILIGAN City — Not very long ago the jeepney or “dyipni,” as we say it in our language, is “King of the Road.” It’s still on the road. But I doubt if it is still considered “King.” Or whether it will still be on the road on some not very distant future.

So, what ails it? The answer is nothing. Nothing ails this Pinoy creation that is the “dyipni” although it has undergone several changes.

Before you can see some messages pasted on them for every passenger to see. Like: “God knows Hudas not pay.” Or, “I don’t get mad, I get even.” Or, “When I’m good I’m very good, when I’m bad I’m sensational!” Or, “Now, I lay me down to sleep, a pile of books upon my chest. If I should die before I wake, that’s one test less I have to take.” And this is complete with pictures, for some of them. Like the picture of a “baby” contorted in anger. Or a thin bespectacled student struggling with hundreds of books piled on his chest.

You can’t see those messages now except for the notice about how much you have to pay according to your class. Whether you’re all right, P7.50; student, or PWD or with a “dual citizenship” already, as in Senior, P6.

The messages then disappeared because, for one, if there’s something like “distracted driving,’’ there could be “distracted commuting,’’ too. So there.

Commuters are already a distracted lot. Many of them, while riding in these jeepneys, are already focused on their gadgets unmindful of the world outside of their prized gadgets. So, we see them smiling over them.

On second thought, they are not distracted, really. But “focused.”  Focused on their gadgets, that’s it. So, who needs messages inside the jeepneys they’re riding about how good I am “when I’m very good”? On second thought, the answer, too, is “everything.” Meaning, everything is wrong with the jeepney.

For one, it is a great smoke belcher. Meaning, its great smoke gets into someone, no, many someone’s eyes. So, it’s not good for the health of this nation.

That’s only among other things as there are other things like, “comfort.’’ Or “discomfort.” For instance, while riding on the jeepney, you forget that one of your legs is obstructing the aisle or the middle portion of the vehicle. And you only remember it when you say “Ahhh!’’ in pain. Somebody has stepped on your toes. So, you remember to retreat them as far from the middle of the vehicle. In the process, you slug into one’s armpits.

Of course, the armpit smell is just one minor trouble compared to the pain which you have miserably endured a few seconds ago. 

And I remember Chona, a good friend, relating to me some incident involving her ride inside this “dyipni.’’ She was already among the passengers seated inside the jeepney when somebody also wanted to ride. The driver let him ride too even if it was already full, he said he just have to go the “hanger” way. So, he did not sit inside among the passengers as there were no more available seats. Chona said she was sitting next to the “hanger”man. And she saw that the “hanger” had a long weapon protruding from his body,

Chona said she was terrified. There were many “what ifs” inside her head. Like what if the weapon was suddenly pulled out by the hanger?

She looked at the other passengers. They were unconcerned. But soon her fears got the better of her. So she decided to get out of the danger caused by that weaponized hanger of a passenger.

She monitored the local news hours later. There was no news though of a “hanger” outside a passenger jeepney going on a shooting rampage!

But my point is, anything could be possible inside a passenger jeepney.

With the Motor Vehicle Modernization imposed presently, will this type of public transport soon vanish? And in its stead, a “modern public transport” emerges?

With the behavior of drivers, operators, transport organization, citing, among other things, the “costs” of such modernization, the answers isn’t readily a “yes.” It does not help that the LTFRB or DOTR can’t articulate very much on the matter. Last week, the Clutch, the Mitsco and the drivers and operators waited in vain when there was a forum about such move. Raul Permites, chairman of the Coalition of Lanao Utility Transport for Change, articulated their dismay when Martin Delgra and Medel  Afalla did not show up. Delgra, to note is chairman of Land Transportation and Regulatory Board while Afalla is OIC of Transport Cooperatives.

So, the answer of whether the “dyipni” would disappear and in its stead a modern mammal will appear, the answer, like we said isn’t readily a “yes.” It could be a “no,” or “maybe.” Which might be somewhat a “yes?” But then, if it’s a “yes,” it takes a long, long time. As in long…