A streamer at a terminal for jeepneys plying the Paco-Rotunda Nagtahan route in Manila expresses the unyielding position of the local transport association about the government’s modernization program for public utility vehicles. —RICHARD A. REYES
Public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators who failed to consolidate their individual franchises before the Dec. 31 deadline imposed by the government will not be apprehended by authorities until the end of the month, transport officials assured on Friday.
Five days after the year-end deadline lapsed, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) have not been able to give the list of routes nationwide that will determine where unconsolidated PUVs, most of which are public utility jeepneys, are still allowed and prohibited to operate on.
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The transport officials said the list would be posted at the LTFRB central office in Quezon City on Monday.
In a press conference on Friday, LTFRB executive director Robert Peig said only unregistered PUVs will be flagged down by enforcers until the end of the month.
“If your violation is failure to consolidate your franchise, then you will not be apprehended. We have coordinated with the LTO (Land Transportation Office) on that issue,” Peig said.
“But if you have a nonregistered PUV unit, then that will be an issue and you will be apprehended, because that is a safety concern,” he stressed.
Unregistered PUVs are those which did not undergo the annual process of “confirmation” before the LTFRB, a requirement before a PUV unit’s registration can be renewed before the LTO.
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The LTFRB earlier said a number of PUVs, particularly jeepneys, have incurred penalties amounting to P5,000 to P10,000 for failure to settle their confirmation fees. The LTFRB said it would waive the penalties of operators who would consolidate into cooperatives or corporations as part of the PUV modernization program.
Traditional jeepneys would also be allowed to operate, regardless if they are consolidated or unconsolidated, as long as they are roadworthy per standards of the LTO.
Transport officials maintained that the fleet modernization component of the PUVMP, which involves the phaseout of the traditional jeepneys which are not up to par with national standards, would not happen until 27 months after the consolidation deadline, or in April 2026 the earliest.
According to LTFRB board member Riza Marie Paches, the national consolidation rate as of Friday was at 76 percent or 145,721 PUV units—which was slightly higher than the 70 percent recorded in November.
For jeepneys, a total of 73.96 percent have consolidated nationwide—up from 56.37 percent; while for UV Express vans, it was at 82 percent—higher than the 58.11 percent earlier reported.
For the National Capital Region, which has the lowest consolidation rate in the country, the consolidation rate was 51 percent for jeepneys and 59 percent for UV Express vans, higher than the Dec. 29 data which was at 34.9 percent for jeepneys and 44.13 percent for UV Express vans.