| Manufacturer | Sarao, Alchris, Joeton, Teikoku & Aljin-Singcang, Morales, LGS, Hataw Motors, F.G. Motors, Armak, Lippad, A.Borja, Nelson |
|---|---|
| Production | post World War II 1945 - present |
| Assembly | Philippines |
| Class | Minivan , Minibus, Jeep |
| Body style | Multi-purpose vehicle |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Engine | 2.0L Isuzu C190 2.2L Isuzu C220 2.4L Isuzu C240 2.8L Isuzu 4BA1 3.3L Isuzu 4BC1 3.3L Isuzu 4BC2 3.6L Isuzu 4BE1 4.3L Isuzu 4BG1 2.7L Mitsubishi 4DR5 Mitsubishi 4D30 Mitsubishi 4D32 Mitsubishi 4D33 |
| Transmission | 4 speed Manual transmission 5 speed Manual transmission 6 speed Manual transmission |
| Related | Jeep |
| Designer | Filipinos |
Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines.[1] They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II[2] and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating. They have become a ubiquitous symbol of Philippine culture.
The word jeepney is a portmanteau of "jeep" and "Jitney".[3]
While most are used as public utility vehicles, jeepneys are also used for personal use, known in the Philippines as "family use", and less often for commercial or institutional use.
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When American troops began to leave the Philippines at the end of WWII, hundreds of surplus jeeps were sold or given to the Filipinos; they stripped them down and altered or customized the jeeps to accommodate more passengers, added metal roofs for shade, and decorated the vehicles with vibrant colors and bright chrome hood ornaments.
The jeepney rapidly emerged as a popular and creative way to re-establish inexpensive public transportation, which had been virtually destroyed during WWII. Recognizing the widespread use of these vehicles, the Philippine government began to regulate their use. Drivers now must have specialized licenses, regular routes, and reasonably fixed fares.
Although several types of jeepneys have been produced, the jeepneys have only begun evolving recently, in response to environmental and economical concerns.
Fully assembled from refurbished engines, some also have air-conditioning units, most popularly in Makati City. Most of these jeepneys have radically expanded passenger capacities, and are flamboyant and noisy. Many jeeps from this generation are notorious for belching smoke and almost all run in diesel fuel.
These are jeepneys manufactured using new engine components. Many of these come with improved air-conditioning and closely resemble a minibus.
Nelson type jeepneys are manufactured in Davao City and are famously known there as "uso-uso". The designs of these jeepneys are way different from the traditional ones. These jeepneys feature modern front grille and body designs, lowered ride height, and industrial quality paint jobs. Newer models of Nelson type jeepneys even feature chrome-plated, tubeless wheels, like ones found in sports cars.
Electric jeepneys are being test-run in Makati. In response to calls for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and the rise in oil prices, a limited number of these have been deployed. A final plan to implement electric jeepneys is yet to be announced. Future jeepneys to be locally built will belong in this category.
E-jeepneys, short for electrical jeepneys, were the brainchild of Green Renewable Independent Power Producers, Inc. or GRIPP in partnership with Mr Robert Puckett, President of Solar Electric Company in the Philippines. These E-jeepneys or minibuses, under the support of Greenpeace started plying Manila / Makati City streets on July 1, 2008. Four E-jeeps were launched by Makati City mayor Jejomar Binay on 2007, with 2 prototypes from Guangzhou, China at P 371,280 each. There are also 10 units of E-jeepney plying various routes in Iloilo City operated by the city government servicing students and city's senior citizens during weekdays for free. "The first public transport system of its kind in South-East Asia," the vehicles can be charged by plugging into an electric socket, using power from biodegradable waste.[4] E-jeepneys would also soon begin commercial operations in Puerto Princesa, Bacolod and Baguio. The 2 new E-jeeps were made by the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP), while the first 4 units were made in China. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board classified and registered them as LSVs (low-speed vehicles) or 4-wheeled motor vehicles that use alternative fuel such as electricity and running at a maximum speed of 40 km per hour. The E-jeepney carries 17 passengers and can run 120 km on an 8-hour charge from an electric outlet.[5][6]
The E-jeepneys are locally fabricated and assembled in the Philippines by PhUV Inc., the business arm of the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Assn. of the Phils. (MVPMAP). It is equipped with either a 5 kW, 72-volt electric motor or a 7 kW, 84-volt one, either with or without transmission, with front end (hood & fender) or none, side or rear entry and front-facing or center-facing rear seats. It is the first electric vehicle granted an orange license plate by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to operate on Philippine roads.
Since its launch in July 2008, E-jeepneys are used by schools, resorts, theme parks, industrial zones, local government units and other entities such as the Makati LGU, De La Salle Dasmariñas in Cavite, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, Plantation Bay in Cebu, Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Embarcadero in Bicol, Hacienda San Benito in Lipa City, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in Quezon City, the House of Representatives (Congress), the Ilocos Sur provincial government, and soon, the Pasig City LGU.
The biggest mass application of the E-jeepney in the whole of Asia is the Makati Green Route (MGR), where some 10 E-jeepneys now ply the Legazpi and Salcedo routes for free under the Climate Friendly Cities (CFC) program of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (iCSC). A third route, the Rockwell loop, will soon be implemented. Under the CFC program, the E-jeepneys are one of three major components of the program. The other two are a renewable energy plant (a biodigester using biodegradable household wastes) and a terminal/charging station for E-jeepneys. Both of these the Makati and Puerto Princesa LGUs have invested in to complete the "green" loop.
Although the original jeepneys were simply refurbished military jeeps (Willys & Ford), modern jeepneys are now produced by independently owned workshops and factories in the Philippines. In the central Philippine island of Cebu, the bulk of jeepneys are built from second-hand Japanese trucks, originally intended for cargo. These are euphemistically known as "surplus" trucks.
Recently the jeepney industry has faced threats to its survival in its current form. Most of the larger builders have gone bankrupt or have switched to manufacturing other products. Currently there are 2 classes of jeepney builders in the Philippines.[1] The backyard builders produce 1-5 vehicles a month, source their die-stamped pieces from one of the larger manufacturers, and work with used engines and chassis from salvage yards (usually the Isuzu 4BA1, 4BC2, 4BE1 series diesel engines or the Mitsubishi Fuso 4D30 diesel engines). The second type is the large volume manufacturer. They have 2 subgroups: the PUJ, or "public utility jeep," and the large volume metal-stamping companies that supply parts as well as complete vehicles.
The jeepney builders in the past were mostly based in Cebu City and Las Piñas City. With the recent slowdown of sales, many of the smaller builders have gone out of business. The largest manufacturer of owner-type jeeps in the Philippines is David Motors Inc. in Quezon City, located on the north side of Metro Manila. The largest manufacturer of vintage-style army jeepneys is MD Juan. Other manufacturers/marks include Mega (which also produces the Lanceta line of jeepneys, located in Lipa), Malagueña (whose factory in Cavite was the site of one of the very first Yield Stops of The Amazing Race),[7] LGS Motors, Morales, Hebron, Marinel (jeepney makers based in Rizal which is popular for their patok (popular) jeepneys which are equipped with high-powered sound systems, aggressive racing themes and lettering/fonts, and their speed—some even achieving a "lowered"-style), Sarao Motors and Armak (one of the largest). Another manufacturer, PBJ Motors, manufactured jeepneys in Pampanga using techniques derived from Sarao Motors. Armak now sells remanufactured trucks and vehicles as an adjunct, alongside its jeepneys.
In Cebu, popular jeepney manufacturers are Chariot and RDAK, known for its "flat-nosed" jeepneys made from surplus Suzuki minivans and Isuzu Elf trucks, which are no longer in use in Japan. These are equipped with high-powered sound systems, racing themes, and are bigger and taller than those in Manila.
In Iloilo City, jeepneys called passad are known for as replicas of sedans or pickup trucks, the vehicles' body much lower which resembles more of a sedan chassis with an elongated body.
Passenger jeepneys are also facing increasing restrictions and regulations for pollution control, as they increase traffic volume and consume lots of fuel. A recent study published in a Metro Manila newspaper compared the fuel use of a 16-passenger jeepney to a 54-passenger air-conditioned bus and found that the fuel consumption for both was the same. With major roads clogged by empty jeepneys seeking fares, there is pressure to remove them from the streets of Manila and other cities.
The cost for a new jeepney will also rise due to the increased costs of raw materials and the need to use new engines. The supply of remanufactured engines is slowly dropping with wear and age, and the number of engine rebuilders diminishes.
The jeepney industry has evolved more quickly in the past 2 years than it has in the past 50 years. Many local manufacturers are moving to build modern-looking jeepneys such as Hummer lookalikes and oversized Toyota van-style passenger jeepneys with Toyota headlights, hoods and bumpers. Manufacturers in Nueva Ecija also started making jeepneys with fronts resembling AUVs like the Honda CR-V or the Toyota Tamaraw. Already in production is a jeepney the size of a small bus and is equipped with state-of-the-art vehicle technology (brand-new engine and drivetrain) and Thermo-King brand air-conditioning intended for buses. Local automobile parts manufacturers are now planning the production of electric jeepneys.[8]
Jeepneys are often manned by two people, the driver and the conductor (also informally called the "backride").[9] If present, the conductor manages passengers and takes care of fare collection.[10] At designated stops, a dispatcher/barker will usually also be present, calling out route and destination and ushering in passengers.[11] In most vehicles, however, only the driver is present, and passengers have to ask the adjacent passengers to pass on the fare to the driver. The driver in this case, relies on the honesty of the passengers to pay the proper amount of fare, as he has no way of checking how much is paid by each individual.[12]
Jeepneys can be flagged down much like taxis by holding out or waving an arm at the approaching vehicle. Because of the proximity of the passengers in jeepneys, a certain etiquette is followed.[11] Jostling and shoving passengers is considered rude, the elderly and women are always seated, talking loudly and boisterous behavior is discouraged.[10] Children are sometimes allowed to ride for free if they agree to sit on the lap of the accompanying adult and not take up seating space. If the jeepney is full, passengers (only males) will also sometimes cling outside or sit on the roof instead (referred to colloquially as sabit in Tagalog and kabit or kapyot in Cebuano; both meaning 'to hang on with your fingertips'). This practice is dangerous and illegal.[13]
To ask the driver to stop the vehicle, passengers can rap their knuckles on the roof the jeepney, rap a coin on a metal handrail, or simply tell the driver to stop. Modern jeepneys often install buzzers and buttons to make it easier for the passengers.[12] The usual parlance for asking a driver to stop is para, from Spanish 'stop', a word that is rarely used outside of this context in recent days.[14] It is also preferred that the passengers call out the words rather than knock, as evidenced in the common admonition from drivers: Ang katok, sa pinto; ang sutsot, sa aso; ang `para', sa tao (Knocking is for doors; whistling is for dogs; para for humans).[13]
In the Philippines, a jeepney is called as is, as its shorter-wheelbase counterparts (jeeps) are called owners, short for its local description owner-type jeep (as jeepneys are also called passenger-type jeeps.)
Another word for jeepney is fierra but it's rarely used. It is best known in a song called Ang Fierra ni Juan ay may Butas sa Gulong (Juan's Jeep has a Hole in the Tire, Fierra being actually a brand of Asian utility vehicle produced by Ford which is also used as a jeepney.)
In a BBC television program called Toughest Place to Be a Bus Driver, a London bus driver goes to Manila and has to adjust to driving a Jeepney.[15]