House panel to urge PBBM to reconsider lapsed PUV consolidation deadline

Antipolo City 2nd Rep. Romeo Acop (Facebook)

The House Committee on Transportation intends to approve a resolution asking President Marcos to reconsider the already lapsed deadline for the consolidation of jeepney drivers under the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

This was confirmed by committee chairman Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop in an interview Thursday morning, Jan. 11.

Acop says the resolution is to urge the President to “reconsider the deadline that he set on 31 December 2023”.

A motion to this effect was made by Sta. Rosa City lone district Rep. Dan Fernandez during the committee’s eight-hour hearing Wednesday, Jan. 10. Although the motion was seconded, the lack of quorum during the proceedings prevented it from getting approved.

“The committee secretary is hearby ordered to prepare the draft resolution to recommend to the President that the deadline for the consolidation be reconsidered,” Acop said during Wednesday’s motu proprio investigation.

The probe centered on the PUV modernization program, which could end up leaving thousands of drivers of traditional jeepneys out in the cold.

The original deadline for the consolidation was Dec. 31, 2023. The consolidation was supposed to facilitate the drivers’ purchase of modern jeepneys, which could cost anywhere from under P1 million to P2.8 million.

According to figures from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), some 38,000 out of 150,867 PUVs didn’t join the consolidation process.

Acop said he expects the second hearing to take place after the Jan. 22 resumption of House sessions.

Fernandez said the readjustment of the consolidation deadline would “give leeway to our [agencies] to adhere to the all the requests and recommendations of our committee”.

LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III reiterated during the House panel hearing that all franchises of traditional jeepneys had been deemed canceled after the Dec. 31 deadline. This is consistent with the aim of the program to phase out old jeepneys in favor of modern ones.

However, transportation authorities have allowed drivers of traditional jeepneys to ply roads until Jan. 31, 2024.

Fernandez said several issues must be addressed, including alleged corruption in the modernization program as well as the need to preserve the iconic design of the Philippine jeepney in modern jeepneys.

The Laguna solon also noted that Congress had appropriated a whopping P5.5 billion for program.

“Napakalaki na po nitong ating nalalabas na pera pero nakikita natin na magkalagulo pa rin yung ating mga ahensya (We’ve already released a huge sum of money for this but our agencies are still obviously in disarray),” he said. — Ellson Quismorio