Jeepneys ferry passengers along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. (INQUIRER file photo/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)
MANILA, Philippines — Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) anticipates no imminent transport crisis in the coming year.
This outlook comes, even if some public utility vehicle (PUV) operators have not consolidated their franchises under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
“Looking at the whole universe of other modes of transportation, wala pong nakikita ang LTFRB na magiging transportation crisis pagpasok ng 2024,” said LTFRB Board Member Mercy Jane Paras-Leynes in a press conference.
(LTFRB does not see anything that will become a transportation crisis when 2024 comes.)
“‘Yung ating major thoroughfares, we have seen that there are consolidated entities already, kaya isa rin yan sa mga dahilan kaya sinasabi natin na hindi magkakaroon ng transportation crisis,” she added.
(Our major thoroughfares, we have seen that there are consolidated entities already, so that is also one of the reasons why we say that there will not be a transportation crisis.)
Paras-Leynes noted as of December 29, there are 13,893 (33 percent) jeepney operators in National Capital Region (NCR) who have already consolidated their franchises.
This volume covers 317 routes, the majority of which are major thoroughfares.
On the other hand, there are 3,259 (44 percent) UV Express operators in Metro Manila who have already complied with the consolidation requirement.
This figure covers 81 UV Express routes in the region.
In total, there are 17,152 consolidated franchises of PUJ and UV Express units in NCR.
This tally covers 47 percent of the region’s overall routes.
Meanwhile, LTFRB technical division chief Joel Bolano said there are about 200 routes in provinces adjacent to Metro Manila.
There are an estimated 6,000 PUV operators from nearby provinces like Bulacan, Rizal, and Cavite.
80 percent of the 6,000 operators have already consolidated their franchises.
This rate covers 60 percent of the overall routes in provinces surrounding Metro Manila.
“Basically, wala kaming nakikitang crisis in terms of those routes coming from adjacent provinces,” Bolano said.
(Basically, we don’t see a crisis in terms of those routes coming from adjacent provinces.)
What will happen to PUVs with unconsolidated franchises?
Bolano reiterated the provisions under Memorandum Circular 52 for PUV operators who will fail to comply with the December 31 consolidation deadline:
For routes with more than 60 percent of operators with consolidated franchises, the provisional authorities of the unconsolidated units will be revoked.
Meanwhile, for routes with less than 60 percent of operators with consolidated franchises, a special permit will be given to operators with unconsolidated franchises until the end of January.
“‘Yung unconsolidated will be given special permits hanggang end of January para mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang LTFRB na makapag-issue ng special permits sa adjacent routes na pwedeng tumakbo doon sa mga routes,” Bolano said.
(The unconsolidated routes will be given special permits until the end of January so that LTFRB can be given the opportunity to issue special permits in adjacent routes that can run on those routes.)
For areas where there are no units with consolidated franchises, Bolano said operators will also be allowed to ply until the end of January “pending the process of assigning units coming from other routes.”