A NEW transport company has started using Mahindra vehicles as its entry in the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program. In a statement Mahindra Philippines said it recently signed an agreement with EcoDyip, Inc. in which the Indian brand is committed to supply 1,000 units of vehicles worth P2 billion. The Mahindra T20 and Supro models will be reconfigured as “modern jeepneys.”
Mahindra Philippines said it had already delivered 100 vehicles to EcoDyip, Inc.
Dennise C. Trajano, managing director of EcoDyip, Inc., said the T20 and Supro modern jeepney “are more than capable in meeting the requirements of the commuting public.”
“Having tested the Mahindra T20 and Supro jeepneys on the road for days, I find them responsive, efficient and have good handling. One advantage worth mentioning is their air-conditioning systems which can provide comfortable cooling even when the units are fully loaded,” Mr. Trajano said.
According to Mahindra Philippines EcoDyip, Inc. plans to hire drivers set to be displaced in the jeepney modernization program and will train them on the technical aspects of the Mahindra models, as well as on safety measures and proper etiquette when dealing with passengers. EcoDyip, Inc. will also introduce a “better payment method with an automated fare collection system,” Mahindra Philippines said.
The company added the T20’s power train and the Supro’s cab and chassis are imported from India, but that their bodies, flooring, roofs, seat material and other customized pieces are fabricated in the Philippines. Jeepneys based on the T20 and Supro all carry the full manufacturer’s warranty.
Mahindra Philippines noted it — together with Columbian Autocar Corp., — has a “modern and fully equipped assembly plant” set in a 10-hectare complex at the Laguna International Industrial Plant, and which can assemble more than 10,000 vehicles a year.
