(File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The order allowing unconsolidated jeepney and Unified Vehicle (UV) Express units to operate on routes with low consolidation rates is a result of the transportation sector’s ‘collective effort’, said Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) National President Mody Floranda on Saturday.
“Ito po ay tagumpay. Tagumpay po ito ng serye ng ating mga rally at welga lalo na noong welga noong April, April 29, 30 at May 1,” said Florando in a Teleradyo interview.
(This is a victory. This is a victory for our series of rallies, especially last April 29, 30 and May 1.)
According to Board Resolution No. 53 Series of 2024 released by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), unconsolidated public utilituy vehicle units can operate on their existing routes without filing for consolidation but they are subject for approval of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) and Route Rationalization Plan (RRP).
The resolution was released on April 30, 2024 amid the nationwide transport strikes of different transportation groups to protest the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program.
The resolution is aimed at ensuring that there is sufficient PUV units available to commuters.
In an interview with DZBB, LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said that there are routes where there are only one to four operating units..
“Gumawa po kami ng isang board resolution hindi dahil sa failure po ito kung hindi dahil iisa o apat lang ang bumabyaheng jeep,” said Guadiz.
“These are gray areas when you have to exempt them,” he added.
PUVs need to habe a connsolidated franchise under the modernization program.
As of April 23, LTFRB recorded a total of 150,179 consolidated PUVs or 78.33 percent of 191,730 PUVs nationwide.
Florando said that the government saw the demand for public transportation when the PUVs lessened from December 2023 to April 2024 due to consolidation concerns.