These Are the Modern Jeepneys You'll Be Riding In Soon

The first Philippine Auto Parts Expo was held last week on October 12 and 13 at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City, and although the event was held primarily to showcase the local auto parts manufacturing industry, what drew the most attention during the two-day event were the prototype modern jeepneys of the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program. Launched in June 2017, the PUV Modernization Program seeks to, well, modernize the jeepney and update its design and platform which has practically remained unchanged since the first ones were converted and refurbished from surplus Willis jeeps left behind by the American military after World War II. For the PUV Modernization Program, some of the guidelines set by the DOTr are:

• the vehicle must be compliant with  safety and environmental standards;
• must be powered by a Euro 4 emission-compliant engine at the very least or an electric motor;
• have its entry and exit on the right side, with the rear exit serving as an emergency exit only;
• and be equipped with a speed limiter, an onboard dashboard-mounted camera, GPS monitoring system, and closed-circuit TV (CCTV) system.

As you'll see in the photo gallery below, most of the vehicles on display complied with the aforementioned guidelines, including the modern take on the jeepney by Santa Rosa Motor Works, which came complete with the patok sound system and the metal horses on the hood. And as mentioned, although the vehicles are prototypes, some are reportedly ready to go into production by January 2018. According to Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB) Chairman Martin Delgra III, the vehicles on display were "to the specification of what we require for the convenience of the riding public." As for Pasang Masda Chairman Roberto Martin, he shared that his fellow members are ready to modernize their units for the safety of their passengers and that he isn't paying attention to other transport groups that oppose the program. "If they don't want (to follow the program), so be it. For us, we'll follow it; we'll go on modernizing our units." So, which one of the modern jeepneys below suits your taste, and will you ditch your car to ride in one? [gallery size="vw_two_third_thumbnail_no_crop" ids="24266,24267,24268,24269,24270,24271,24272,24273,24274,24305,24275,24307,24308,24309,24310,24311,24312,24313,24314,24315,24316,24317,24318,24319,24320,24321,24322,24323,24324,24326,24325,24306,24276,24277,24278,24279,24280,24281,24282,24283,24284,24285,24286,24287,24288,24289,24290,24291,24292,24293,24294,24295,24296,24297,24298,24299,24300,24301,24302,24303,24304">