I had the opportunity to interview a jeepney driver on the topic of Electric Jeepneys or E-Jeeps. I asked him what percentage of jeepney drivers are against the shift to E-Jeeps. He estimates that about 25% of jeepney drivers are for and 75% are against the shift. One reason why drivers are against it is the exorbitant price of an E-Jeep. He said that an E-Jeep would cost about 1.7 million pesos. Contrast that to a diesel powered jeep that would cost about 0.6 million. So an E-Jeep is about three times the price of a regular jeepney. He said that even after government's offer to help out by giving drivers a loan (which he says isn't really any help since they still have to pay the loan), it is estimated that a driver would have to save about 900 pesos per day to pay for the E-Jeep. Manong driver says that the average jeepney driver is only making about 1000 pesos per day. How can he live off just 100 pesos to feed his family? At 365 days a year, it would probably take about 6 years to pay for the E-Jeep, assuming a low interest rate on the loan.
But manong driver says that the estimated life of a Chinese made product is only about two years. Contrast this to Japanese made engines which they have proven to last about six years. And Japanese engines can be overhauled even after the six year period is over. But he is hesitant about Chinese made engines because he isn't sure if these can even be fixed if they conk out. This perception arose from his experience with Chinese made products like cellphone chargers which fail in a week while japanese chargers last about a year. So, if he's still paying for the original E-Jeep in a six-year period, and it conks out after two years, he's still left with a big debt, and has to invest in possibly another purchase just to keep on making a living.
Another issue that manong driver raised was the possibility of batteries running out of energy during the trip. The country still hasn't established a network of charging stations for E-vehicles unlike an established network of gas stations. So, if his batteries run out, he still has to either have the vehicle towed, or call for a battery replacement.
I asked him about the perceived advantages of the new technologies in E-jeeps such as having swipe cards for payment and having wifi and security cameras. I asked if the daily losses among passengers who don't pay was significant. He said it wasn't. So even if swipe cards guarantee a 100% passenger payment, you still have to worry about an additional technology failing - the card reader. If it fails, then it's another reason for you not to be able to earn anything on that day. He believes that cash is still better for transactions. We weren't able to discuss whether or not a driver's attention would be improved since he doesn't need to keep track of which among his passengers have paid anymore. But he raised issues about the E-Jeep doors not opening immediately if the passenger is swiping it for payment. For him, passengers are better off if they can get in and out of the vehicle quickly. He doesn't want to be penalized with obstruction by a traffic constable just because his passengers weren't able to ride immediately. Perhaps having designated jeepney stop points would address this concern, but not all routes traveled by jeepneys have these.
Wifi, for him wasn't an important feature for passengers. He said that passengers will only become more distracted with their phones, and this gives potential snatchers or holdapers an easier advantage. But the security cameras would probably deter these types of crimes or allow for the quick capture of perpetrators, assuming they don't destroy the cameras or the hard drive data records during the crime. Otherwise, these added techs mean added maintenance costs which probably means less profit for the driver or operator. Government agencies might also use these technologies as additional measures for compliance. Non-compliance means more penalty fees.
I asked him about the environmental impact of an E-Jeep compared to a diesel engine. All he knows is that an E-Jeep no longer has smoke emissions so it should be better for the environment. But I think shifting passenger vehicles to electric tech means putting an added strain on our electric companies that would impact the cost of electricity. As a country, we already have one of the most expensive electricity rates in Asia. Now, when E-Jeeps start consuming part of the energy allotment for households, that will quickly diminish capacity and reserves. But you can't build power plants in a day. So, brownouts or electrical outages might happen more, and electric bills will probably be more expensive.
There's also the matter of shifting a driver from a boundary payment scheme to a fixed salary. Manong feels that if they shift to a fixed salary scheme, there wouldn't be any incentive for a driver to work harder. And their take-home pay would end up being lower. But one of the reasons why manong decided to become a jeepney driver was the take-home pay. He used to be a salaried employee, working as a surveyor for one of the biggest engineering and construction firms in the country. But it turns out, as a jeepney driver, his earnings were about twice what he was getting when he was in the construction company. At the end of the day, the money he takes home to feed his family is more important than a job title or prestige of working for a big named company.
So, as of this moment, manong driver feels that the costs outweigh the benefits of the shift to E-Jeeps. Hopefully, the government will listen to their ideas before requiring mandatory compliance. Their experience in their trade is also valuable and important. While it is important to maintain good business relationships with one of our biggest neighboring countries, let us put the needs and plight of our countrymen at the forefront of our decision-making.
No comments:
Post a Comment