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MANILA, Philippines — Unconsolidated jeepney, UV Express and Filcab units will still be allowed to ply their routes even after the December 31 deadline — however, they can no longer join cooperatives or corporations.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III alongside other board members signed memorandum circular 2023-052 last December 22.
“In order not to hamper the operation of public transportation routes without consolidated [transportation service entity], the individual operators in said routes shall be allowed to operate until 31 January 2024,” the memo reads.
“During this period, Show Cause Orders (SCO) shall be issued by the Board and its Regional Franchising Regulatory Offices (RFROs) to the unconsolidated individual operators in compliance with the proviisions of the Public Service Act.”
This reverses the controversial LTFRB memorandum circular 2023-051 stating that all provisional authorities issued to unconsolidated individual operators will be deemed revoked effective January 1, 2024.
In effect, the order extends the operation of unconsolidated public utility vehicles (PUVs) by 30 days or a month.
“Further, all unconsolidated individual operators who failed to file application for consolidation prior to 31 December 2023 shall no longer be allowed to organize into a juridical entity or join consolidated TSEs,” the LTFRB added.
“The Board may issue Special Permits to operate on routes without consolidated TSE which shall be valid for three (3) months after 31 January 2023 to other consolidated TSEs,” it said.
“In no case shall the consolidated TSE reduce its operation to more than 60% of its [number of authorized units] on its original route.”
Thousands unemployed by February?
Consolidating individual operators into single TSEs is part of the requirements set by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) under the PUV Modernization Program.
After December 31, PUV operators and drivers would be given 27 months to transition into “environmentally friendly” minibuses or e-jeeps which reportedly costs around P2 million each — thus marking the phase out of traditional jeepneys, UV Express, etc.
Transport group Piston, Bayan Muna party-list, and others earlier filed a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court in the hopes of suspending the PUV consolidation deadline.
Government data cited by progressive groups earlier said that 140,000 drivers and 60,000 operators of unconsolidated PUVs could lose their livelihood nationwide by 2024.
Starter Piston spokesperson Miguel “Ka Elmer” Portea earlier mentioned that over 66% of jeepneys in CALABARZON are not yet consolidated. — James Relativo
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
