The Department of Transportation (DOTr) remains firm on the Dec. 31, 2023 deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUVs), but it is open to have a dialogue with drivers and operators after the transport strike next week, according to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
LTFRB, led by its chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III, and the members of the board met yesterday to discuss the impending transport strike’s impact on the transport sector and the riding public, said Celine Pialago, LTFRB spokesperson.
“The LTFRB leadership vows to coordinate with other government agencies and the local government units on ways to provide free rides to the public should the strike push through,” she said.
As of yesterday, there were 129,568 consolidated units for public utility jeepneys, UV Express, minibuses and public utility buses, representing 65 percent of overall authorized units.
The remaining 35 percent consists of 69,665 individual franchise holders which have yet to join the PUV modernization, according to LTFRB.
The PUV program aims to modernize all consolidated units and additional units which may be determined by the route rationalization exercise in the next 10 years.
In a televised interview, Pialago said the traditional jeepneys would not be phased out and still operate after the consolidation as long as they pass the roadworthiness test.
To allow PUVs to operate after the deadline, LTFRB said PUVs must consolidate first to secure a confirmation from the agency that will be the basis for the registration at the Land Transportation Office.
Under the PUV modernization program, operators and drivers must organize into a cooperative or corporation to establish larger fleets of PUVs. – Myla Iglesias
