Tatay Efren
How people experience the Philippine urban transportation system in 2030
Tatay Efren has been a jeepney driver for most of his life. Today is his last day at work before he takes his well-deserved retirement. Up until a few years ago, Tatay Efren would have been very worried about this last day; he could only earn enough each day and had no savings or retirement benefits. There wouldn’t have been any talk of retiring, and he would probably have worked for as long as he could just to survive.
Now it is different. The government’s investments in upgrading public transportation included pensions for retiring transport workers, along with free healthcare for Efren and his wife even after retirement.
Efren will lease out his five-year-old e-jeepney to Dindin, a new driver. His last run today is also the new driver’s last orientation ride. It completes Dindin’s training program. At the end of the day, Efren will turn over his beloved e-jeep to Dindin.
Leasing his e-jeep will give Efren an extra source of income to supplement his pension. He was able to replace his aging jeepney through the government’s modernization program. The vehicle loans through his cooperative had very easy terms. He also didn’t have to worry too much about maintenance. Fleet management companies take care of the regular upkeep of the vehicles in the cooperative.
Apart from the non-polluting electric vehicle, Tatay Efren’s work day routine is so different from when he first entered the jeepney business 40 years ago. Gone are the long hours spent in traffic and the jockeying for passengers vs. other jeepneys. He doesn’t have to wake up at 4 to start his route at 6. He doesn’t have to keep driving till 10 at night just to make enough money for the day.
The biggest change is that Tatay Efren’s income isn’t tied to how many passengers he ferries but comes through a service contract. The government pays him to run his route. It rewards him for driving safely and meeting schedules. Decongestion fees, special taxes, and parking fees pay for the whole system by capturing the value that transportation creates for the city and the country.
Tatay Efren runs three trips before lunch with novice Dindin by his side. They have time for a lunch break and a power nap, and then they are back on Tatay Efren’s route for four more trips in the afternoon. Tatay Efren introduces Dindin to some of his regular riders. They include some seniors who have become friends and a young girl with Down’s Syndrome who rides the same route every day. (“Please take good care of her,” Efren tells the novice driver.)
At 5:00 in the evening, Tatay Efren parks his e-jeep at the fleet management company’s garage for the last time and turns the keys over to Dindin. Efren touches the beautiful art on the side of the e-jeep. The distinctive art features a large red cat. It was done by an artist friend and paid for by the modernization program. The art celebrates local culture and gives each e-jeep a unique personality. Tatay Efren wistfully bids goodbye and heads home to celebrate his retirement with his wife, with family, and friends.
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