Jeepney phaseout begins January 2018

[Lee2]

Finally an end to the smoke belchers coming within years.

It’s the end of the road for the country’s iconic jeepney.

Beginning next week, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will remove jeepneys that are at least 15 years old from streets as part of the government’s transport modernization program.

DOTr Undersecretary Thomas Orbos yesterday said they would start taking out the “problematic” jeepneys beginning January – the start of a three-year transition period.
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[lost_in_samoa]

smoke belchers

But.............

Battery technology is held in the 1900's by the big boys.  Blocking patents and unlimited funds for lawyers.  Can't let us great unwashed get a hold of "disruptive technology".

With the tropical heat here the current technology battery lifespan will be REALLY short.  So what about the battery waste? 

Which is worse?  Liquid lead calcium that has been made super permeable by thousands of cycles of acid dissolution,  Nickel, Cadmium, Lithium wastes in high alkaline PH solution,  or diesel smoke?

Electric vehicles can be accurately described as "external combustion" engines.  Fuel burning still happens.  Just at the generation facility. 

And what with generator efficiency/conversion/transmission losses, you have to create just about double the electrical energy that you do diesel energy to perform the same work.

So, Unless someone breaks the energy cartel's monopoly, electric vehicles are not a viable option.  If they were they would be ubiquitous across the developed world.  And they are not.

Then there is the economic aspect of this.......

I wonder how much commerce,  goods, and services are transported by Jeepney's?  What will be the effect of hampering that?

Don't get me wrong.  I hear you about the fumes.  Gives Ester a sinus infection every time she goes to town.

I worry that this has not been thought out.  That the folks doing the thinking may have a vested interest in pushing in a particular direction.  One that we slobs in the day to day trenches won't appreciate.


Just contemplating the abyss.

[Gray Wolf]

The Euro 4 compliant standards do not mandate electric vehicles, merely higher standards for emissions. Diesel vehicles that meet the Euro 4 standard should emit 68 percent less particulate matter, 57 percent less nitrogen oxides, and 50 percent less carbon monoxide. The fuel needed is already in the PH, so all the jeepney's need are newer diesel engines. Of course it will likely be easier to buy a completely new jeepney instead of just changing the engine, albeit more expensive.

[BudM]

There is supposedly a program in place to lighten the financial burden that the owners/drivers would endure if they need to convert.  Plus, in my opinion, they could help themselves by spending some of the pesos they put in saving by still using an old broke down and falling apart jeep all those years.  Then again, I might be miscalculating how much most of them had put away in savings.  I guess their best is with the program and raising fares.

[lost_in_samoa]

The Euro 4 compliant standards do not mandate electric vehicles

I stand corrected.  Thank you.

My comments on electrical vehicles was a pre-emptive strike.  They are not economically viable ..... until better battery technology is released for the public.

Just like ethanol or hydrogen is a net energy loser.

I guess the point I was trying to make is .......

Under the current economic system, (privately held central banking based on debt issuance), the ability to scrape by and earn enough to eat is stretched to it breaking point.  All over the world.

Two critical components of commerce are communications and transportation. 

Here in the RP,  a significant portion of that is based on inefficient diesel vehicles ..... busses, kuligligs, jeepney's, and local made "owners".

If you look at energy to work conversion factors for different "engine" technologies .... particularly engines that have been or can be fielded to the local family.  Diesels rate in the upper tiers.

It is a good thing that the pollution problems are being addressed .........

But at the same time  mandating additional expense to an already failing system might be inviting trouble.

Have the folks that developed the mandate thought this through?

Are THEIR motives OUR motives?

[JoeLP]

I don't see it enforced any any true fashion.  I get what they setup is about, and like Somoa...find it very faulty.  The electrical grid here is weak, at best.  So any push for electric(I know it's not really there...yet) would be horrible for everyone as prices would shoot up with the extra demand.  And then forcing the average Pinoy jeepney owner, who more likely than not, have zero savings, or what they are saving is for the next day the local cockpit is open, to spend money they don't have into getting a better vehicle. 
I see the same thing you see now.  A lot of these vehicles do not pass the emissions test, but a few 1000 bills all of a sudden changes the scores.  It will continue.  Or...somehow the title to vehicle was lost, and when needing a new one...it is now mysteriously a younger vehicle than what was thought. 
I seen the junk that goes on in the LTO(at least here in a more rural area) as Tina's cousin works there.  Seen everything from vehicles that are not road legal getting licenses and people who never attended a single class or took a single test get their driving license.  Can easily see vehicles getting younger go along with the emissions test scores being changed. 
It won't last beyond a few years probably as something will probably happen to make enforcing the new law....or it'll just go away like a lot of laws do here.

[Gray Wolf]

I'd love to see something happen to make all the smoke-belching vehicles, of every sort, simply disappear. But we all know that ain't gonna happen. It's a good idea, but with no plans in place to help it happen. Do the powers that be actually think they can force jeepney owners to scrap their old vehicles and buy new ones? Or replace the engines? Most jeepney owners don't have enough money saved to buy new tires let alone a new engine, or even less, a new jeepney. So, what will happen? A few people will be made an example of to show the bigger powers that the locals are "doing something" about pollution, and then the whole program will fall apart just in time for the next Presidential election. The new guy/gal will promise everyone a new plan, "a jeepney in every pot!" sorta thing, and that, too, will fall apart.

I love the PH, and I love it's people, for the most part. But the reality is that they have a completely different outlook on what works for them and what doesn't. As long as a jeepney owner/drive can make enough pisos to buy some fish and rice for his ever-burgeoning family, he's good to go. Rules be damned! What are they going to do when 90% of the jeepney owners fail to comply? Shut down public transportation? The wailing would be so loud and with such fervor the powers sitting up in the winter capital in Baguio would be able to hear them. The People Power Revolution would pale in comparison to the outcry from the poor, downtrodden workers and students that still have to find a way to their meager jobs and classes.

Yeah, good idea, but not well-thought out. I don't see it happening in three, or even thirty years. JMHO of course. YMMV

[Brisbane]

I'd love to see something happen to make all the smoke-belching vehicles, of every sort, simply disappear. But we all know that ain't gonna happen. It's a good idea, but with no plans in place to help it happen. Do the powers that be actually think they can force jeepney owners to scrap their old vehicles and buy new ones? Or replace the engines?r them.

Yeah, good idea, but not well-thought out. I don't see it happening in three, or even thirty years. JMHO of course. YMMV

Yes because each Jeepney has a franchise route and if their vehicles do not comply then they will lose it.

[Gray Wolf]

Yes because each Jeepney has a franchise route and if their vehicles do not comply then they will lose it.

And then what?

[BudM]

And then what?

I knew someone who had a jeep route until about a year ago when he unloaded his jeep because it was getting too old and I am pretty sure the franchises work like the FX franchises. They ply a certain route and they are not supposed to be going on other routes.  If they lose the franchise, someone else will jump on it right away as there are only a certain number.  And I see plenty of jeeps and FX sitting on the side of the highway at police checkpoints.

Personally, I think at least some progress will be made with the situation.  If not, at least more than has been happening in the past.  There are some pretty mad jeepney franchise owners/drivers for a while now but they sure have had time to do something about it as this has been talked about actually happening for over a few years now.  And not all these jeepney owners are necessarily as poor as they are said to be.  The drivers working for them might be but there are a lot of owners out there with multi jeep operation.  Not sure of the cost of a jeepney franchise but the FX franchises cost them a fair chunk of change initially not including, not so cheap, yearly fee.  My guess would be that the last thing they want to do is lose their franchise as they might never get one back or have to wait in line a long time.

[Gray Wolf]

Personally, I think at least some progress will be made with the situation.  If not, at least more than has been happening in the past. My guess would be that the last thing they want to do is lose their franchise as they might never get one back or have to wait in line a long time.

I hope you're right, Bud. I'd love to see progress on this plan. I know someone needs to do something to help clean up the air in the cities. Even though our house is located about 15 miles from the center of Manila, the local jeepneys and tricycles spew out enough gunk to clog up anyone's lungs. And from our rooftop the smog over Manila is obvious most days. I avoid going into the city at all cost

[Brisbane]

And then what?

Simple. If they wont renew your franchise you are taken off the road. There are rules and regulations and costs for operating a jeepney route.  Yes my friend operates 2 but there only about 5 or years old so she wont need to worry for some time. Incidentally the phasing out was extended for one more year only if the Jeepney passes a roadworthy.