Phaseout of old jeepneys to take 3 years--LTFRB

THE phaseout of 15-year-old jeepney units will take three years to implement, according to the Land Transportation and Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

But LTFRB Commissioner Aileen Lizada over the weekend said the phaseout, part of a public transportation modernization plan of the Duterte administration, is not an immediate concern of the LTFRB.

Lizada’s statement was the LTFRB’s stand on information being circulated by George San Mateo of the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston) that the government will abruptly end the life of public utility jeepneys 15 years and older.

San Mateo said there would be another round of suspensions of operations if the government pursued the phaseout.

According to Lizada, public utility buses instead would be immediately phased out.

She told The Manila Times that the LTFRB had issued a memorandum to managements of bus companies that they should stop operating 15-year-old bus units.

Lizada said they will reject outright renewal of the bus companies’ franchises if they state in their application that they will field 15-year- old units.

Actually, all old units of dif- ferent types of public utility vehicles are included in the phaseout plan.

Lizada said the government, the LTFRB in particular, is not singling out jeepney drivers and jeepney operators as San Mateo has “[been] erroneously insinuating.”

She added that the regulatory board has not issued a memorandum directing the jeepney drivers and jeepney operators to immediately stop the operations of old jeepney units.

The LTFRB is conducting a series of consultations with different jeepney drivers and jeepney operators to explain the “omnibus modernization plan” of the government for the public transportation system.

Lizada said the Duterte administration is concerned with the economic plight of jeepney drivers and small jeepney operators.