After June 30 this year, individual operators of traditional jeepneys, UV Express and multicabs will no longer be allowed to ply their routes.
In a memorandum circular, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said “individual operators may continue to operate by virtue of a provisional authority, which is automatically extended until 30 June 2023.”
“Only those individual operators who are able to join an existing consolidated entity on or before 30 June 2023 shall be allowed to have their PA extended until 31 December 2023.”
The formed juridical entity must be accredited with the Office of the Transport Cooperative or registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than August 31. It is also required to file an application for franchise consolidation not later than October 31.
The provisional authority of individual traditional jeepneys in Metro Manila was originally set to expire in April. The LTFRB said in an earlier press release that they would be extending the PA of traditional jeepneys “for the fourth and last time.”
According to transport group PISTON, many jeepney operators continue to oppose the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program “due to the high costs of replacing thei vehicls and the possibility of losing their livelihood in case they enter a consolidated franchise.”
“In the process of reviewing the whole program of modernization, the government must ensure that all jeepney drivers and small operators are consulted,” said Mody Floranda, national president of PISTON.
“Thousands of jobs are at stake, so it’s important that we work together with the state in identifying how a proper transition towards modernization could be justly undertaken,” he stressed.IMT
