MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced that non-consolidated jeepneys can continue to operate on specific routes until January 31.
Previously, authorities stated that traditional jeepneys could lose their operating permits if they didn’t consolidate individual franchises into a unified one through a cooperative or corporation by December 31, 2023, as part of the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization initiative.
However, the latest LTFRB memorandum permits non-consolidated operators to function on routes where less than 60 percent of jeepneys have consolidated.
Those who miss the December 31 deadline “will no longer be allowed to organize into a juridical entity or join existing consolidated TSEs (transport service entities),” the memo added.
Transport groups have expressed concerns about a potential transportation crisis if many traditional jeepneys have to stop operations due to failing to consolidate. Jeepney drivers and operators argue that “modern jeepneys” are too expensive and will lead to individual operators losing route franchises to large corporations and transport cooperatives.
The LTFRB is working with local government units (LGUs) nationwide to implement measures to assist commuters as the government moves into the next phase of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) following the December 31 consolidation deadline.
The LTFRB expects about 154,000 Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) to consolidate into a corporation or cooperative by the end of this year. This covers 70 percent of PUVs nationwide.
According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), all principal routes or main thoroughfares in Metro Manila are currently managed by consolidated transport groups. Secondary routes lacking consolidated entities will be serviced by alternative modes of public transport, as mentioned in the statement.
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