The government has pushed for the modernization of public utility vehicles, leading to the phaseout of the jeepney that was once called “King of Philippine roads.” —Inquirer/Richard A. Reyes
MANILA, Philippines — There is no transport crisis as there are “more than enough” public utility vehicles (PUVs) plying the country’s roads, a month after the franchise consolidation deadline lapsed.
According to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, there are enough PUV units operating in Metro Manila and other key cities, with 80 percent of operators having consolidated into cooperatives or corporations by April 30 as part of the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP).
“Overall, [the report of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)] is that we have enough capacity. The consolidated PUVs are offering the required [number of] seats here in Metro Manila,” Bautista said on Saturday, on the sidelines of the 50th anniversary of the Maritime Industry Authority in Parañaque City.
READ: PUV modernization: Filipino jeepneys out, China imports in
In fact, the chief of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said, there were “more than enough” PUVs plying on certain routes, which require rationalization through the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).
“There are even certain routes where we need to reduce the number of PUVs on them because there are too many of them [for just one route],” he explained.
According to Bautista, the DOTr and the LTFRB are working with local governments to rationalize these routes.
An LPTRP details the route network, mode and required number of PUVs per mode for delivering land transport service.