UNCONSOLIDATED PUV FRANCHISES TO BE REVOKED AFTER APRIL 30: DOTR
MANILA — Unconsolidated operators and drivers will be notified that their franchises are revoked “a week or two” after the April 30 consolidation deadline, a Department of Transportation (DOTr) official said yesterday.
“Bibigyan naman ng due process ng LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board],” DOTr Undersecretary Ferdinand Ortega told Unang Balita in an interview when asked if unconsolidated public utility vehicles (PUVs) will be apprehended starting today, the day after the deadline.
“Bibigyan pa ‘yan ng show cause, sasagot pa sila,” he added.
“So it will take a few days, maybe a week or two, para sila ay finally masasabihan o mabibigyan ng information na sila ay wala nang prangkisa at sila ay hindi na pwede pumasada.”
In a Balitanghali interview yesterday, LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said that unconsolidated PUVs would be provided an opportunity to explain why they were unable to comply with the government deadline.
“Technically, colorum na sila, but as a process by the law, pagpapaliwanagin muna namin sila. After one week po, magpapalabas na rin kami ng utos na ‘yung mga hindi nakapagpaliwanag or hindi katanggap-tanggap ang paliwanag ay pwede na po naming hulihin ‘yan … Ang penalty po niyan ay oneyear suspension sa driver, at P50,000 ang multa naman doon sa sasakyang maiimpound po namin,” he said.
Ortega urged unconsolidated operators and drivers not to persist in operating despite their lack of franchise.
Rescue routes
As of Sunday, April 28, the LTFRB said that 78.33 percent or 150,179 units have consolidated. There is also a 73.71 percent route consolidation as of April 23.
“‘Yung mga areas na nakikita namin na baka po magkaproblema ay inimbitahan na ho namin ‘yung mga jeepney operators ng adjusted route o ‘yung tinatawag naming rescue route na if they have excess jeepneys. They can travel [along] those routes using special permit issued by LTFRB,” said Guadiz.
Ortega earlier said that in Metro Manila, around 59 percent of operators and drivers have already consolidated into cooperatives in compliance with the government’s PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP).
Final deadline
According to Ortega, the DOTr remains firm that the consolidation of PUVs will close yesterday and that there will be no more extensions.
Started in 2017, the PUVMP aims to replace jeepneys with vehicles that have at least a Euro 4-compliant engine to lessen pollution. It also aims to replace units that are not deemed roadworthy by the Land Transportation Office’s standards.
A modern jeepney unit costs over P2 million, an amount that even staterun banks said was too expensive for PUV drivers and operators.
On Monday, April 29, transport groups went on a three-day strike, filed a supplemental petition and again asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the PUVMP.
On the second day of the transport strike on Tuesday, the protesting drivers once again gathered at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila. They intend to stage their protest until evening. Integrated News)