THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) yesterday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s continued support for the implementation of the Public Transportation Modernization Program (PTMP) reinforces the importance of modernizing the country’s public transportation system for the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the nation’s future.
This was expressed by Teofilo Guadiz III, LTFRB chair, following the President’s statement he disagrees with calls to postpone the program for another review.
The Senate has issued a resolution calling for the suspension of the PTMP’s implementation.
“I disagree with them because they say it was rushed. This has been postponed seven times. The modernization has been postponed seven times,” the President said in an interview yesterday.
He noted that those who have been objecting to the program are the minority.
“Eighty percent have already consolidated. So how can the 20 percent decide for the fate of the 100 percent,” Marcos said in English and Filipino.
Based on data recorded by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the public utility vehicle (PUV) consolidation reached 83.38 percent or 159,862 out of the total 191,730 baseline units nationwide, as of April 30, 2024. With the President’s support, DOTr said it is on track to fully implement the program, with the route rationalization set to be completed by 2026 and the start of the jeepney modernization scheduled in 2027.
The program’s next phase is the route rationalization or Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) in which the DOTr and LTFRB are working with the local government units (LGUs) to finalize the number of vehicles that will be allowed per route. This is slated to be completed in two years. LPTRP is a plan detailing the route network, mode and required number of PUVs per mode for delivering land transport service, which shall be the minimum requirement prescribed for the issuance of PUV franchises.
Under Department Order No. 2023-002 dated Dec. 29, 2023, the route rationalization plan involves the identification of public transport supply gaps and the planning of complex route networks.
