The Jeepney Experience
Unlike Kuala Lumpur’s traveller-friendly, architecturally beautiful and comfortably modern international airport, Hong Kong’s Chep Lap Kok Airport is a glass and chrome high-tech disaster. This futuristic eyesore will be very convenient for space travel 20-30 years from now. The remote airport check-in facilities at both Hong Kong and Kowloon are excellent, possibly the best one has seen, but even high-tech facilities need comfort as a prerequisite for passengers and it would be nice to have, among other things washrooms, not only in the proximity of the platform but on the train itself because of the 20-25 minute high speed ride to the airport on Lantau Island. The train, with a TV screen for every seat, is an Orwellian dream (or a nightmare without a washroom), the environment is squeaky clean. Both at the remote check-in facilities and the airport, modernity does not condone signposting. From the check-in desk to the train, we twice lost our way within the station, when we got to the airport and despite the rather ambiguous map on the back of the boarding card it took us 45 minutes of walking around in circles before making it to the Cathay Pacific Business Lounge, no help from airport or airline staff who looked as confused as us or probably acted that way, that being the accepted Hong Kong attitude. One was happy to note a PIA vis-a-vis CAA similarity in relationship, when asked why prominently placed signs did not indicate the way, the Cathay Pacific representatives lamented that the airport authorities would not allow it. Who says petty bureaucracy departed with the British in 1997? Except for honourable exceptions Hong Kong residents are generally ruder than ever before. In the “competitiveness” potential, they have rightly slipped from 1st to 6th place in the world. With mega-cities like Singapore and Tokyo, with Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai and a lot of other developed cities coming into line rapidly, Hong Kong will find it hard to stay the course ten years hence unless HK residents get over their severe attitude problem. In any case Shanghai is the future commercial capital of Asia as it once was, the new enclave of Pudong is a high-tech marvel, but comfortably so.
The remarkable thing about the Philippines is how they have solved their urban transport problem through the indigenously made “Jeepney”. This diesel-engined long-base jeep-type vehicle is a hybrid locally manufactured, and comparatively inexpensive. Seeing them on the roads, one was curious to know how this was assembled. Thanks to the resourcefulness of the Pakistan Embassy in Manila who immediately responded to my request for arranging a visit to a “factory”, I was lucky to get an opportunity to see the facilities of “Sarao Motors, Inc”. While Toyota and Honda need not worry, Pakistanis, with their gift of fabricating vehicle bodies as well as repairing and maintenance of vehicles, may be better able to innovate their own version of Jeepney for Pakistan’s sprawling cities. The Jeepney carries 18-20 passengers in relative comfort at very competitive rates, so competitive that the high-priced rail system, though half-finished, remains virtually passenger-less. One can conceive of any Light Rail Transport (LRT), the fare has to fit the pocket books of the low-paid white and blue collar workers who are the main users of public transport. Even if we were to eventually decide on a LRT situation for Karachi, a variation of the Jeepney, selling cost in the Philippines about Rs 4 lacs, could be manufactured locally, relatively cheaper because we have a far broader infrastructure, locally available materials and technical skills. A word about the small Pakistani diplomatic entity in Manila would not be amiss, their responsiveness to an “out-of-the-blue” request from somebody far removed from officialdom was against the run of the tide of most Pakistani diplomatic missions in their attitude to such requests by visiting businessmen, Embassies are usually cold to the business community, unless there is official sanction, are a personal relationship. That the Pakistani Embassy Philippines responded without those conditions reflects very well on the Ambassador, whom I met for the first time, and his small but efficient staff. When Foreign Service personnel rise to the principle that commercial interests should be treated at par with the politics of diplomacy, it is more than a pleasant surprise, it is effective for the country.
The Oct 12 military takeover was justified under “the doctrine of necessity” by the Supreme Court (SC), that it would do so is not a surprise. It has been done before, Pakistanis should be used to our Justices responding in this manner to the concept “clear and present danger”. The newly ordained rulers can get on with cleaning up the country’s act, albeit within the time span of three years plus 90 days as mandated by the Honourable Justices. Significantly the military regime has been allowed to make suitable amendments to the Constitution in the name of good governance without changing the basic Parliamentary character of government. This authority must be used judiciously and sensibly to effect meaningful reforms that are good for the public-at-large and the nation as a whole, not what suits special vested interest with a selfish craving for money and power as the prime-motivating factor. Late Field Marshal Ayub Khan ushered in a terrific system of Basic Democracy in the early 60s, meant to suit “the genius of the people” then failed the whole process by using the system to manipulate an indirect vote to get elected as a civilian President. This destroyed the credibility of Basic Democracy, the system did not survive its author’s descent from power, it self-destructed without trace. That was indeed a shame because the concept was very pragmatic and workable, could have been the foundation of good governance.
Good governance will be the key to success of the military regime. They will have to institute drastic reforms that will re-vitalise the institution of government and make it impossible for nepotism and corruption to exist, they will have to also run the affairs of government for the next 1,000 (more or less) days to the National Elections on a day-to-day basis with efficiency and honesty of purpose without falling into the dirty embrace of touts. While engaged in the process of accountability, which is the raison d’etre for the Honourable Justices of the SC to give them the three years time, they must remain very sensitive to the doings of their own personnel at every level, particularly the upper hierarchy from becoming involved in any activity that can be construed to be taking undue advantage of their position. That misuse of position at lower levels has already started there is no doubt, presently the military hierarchy at the top level remains clean. Not to say that temptation will not be thrown their way, those with reason to hide their past and/or seek to make profit out of access to those in power, will create opportunities for nepotism and corruption to compromise the men in khaki somehow. These hyenas search for masters to serve, they usually survive every government in power because of their ability to switch mentors with qualm of conscience. They have no shame.
Back to the Jeepney, the making of it in the Philippines would put Henry Ford to shame. Edgardo Sarao, the son of the owner (reportedly the inventor of the “Jeepney”), did me the courtesy of taking me around the “factory” himself, despite driving rain. The axle is “manufactured” in the factory and the 2800 cc diesel engine with transmission is imported from Japan second hand, then overhauled. Batteries and tyres are obtained locally as are the steering wheel and other parts. The body is manufactured out of stainless steel within the factory, the rate of production is a rollicking 3-4 units a day in two 8-hour shifts (that is a 1,000 plus a year). The selling price per unit is less than half that of comparable coasters being assembled in Pakistan. For the interim, the Jeepney (there are 4 X 4 and air-conditioned versions also) provides an economical means of transport for the urban impoverished. That is the principle to operate on for good governance. In circumstances availing in Third World countries like Pakistan, we should not succumb to foreign-imposed conditions which will burden the common man but to seek innovations that will keep the material burden evenly spread while accomplishing one’s goals. Unless we seek to distribute the load fairly and equitably, the streets will resound with the protest of “the great silent majority” which once its starts sounding off does not remain all that silent.
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