Marcos gives transport groups 3-month extension to consolidate

PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has approved a three-month extension for the franchise consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUVs) to give those who want to consolidate more time to do so, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Chely Garafil said yesterday.

“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista’s recommendation, granting an additional three months until April 30, 2024 for the consolidation of public utility vehicles. This extension is to give an opportunity to those who expressed intention to consolidate but did not make the previous cut-off,” Garafil said.

The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said 190,000 PUVs, composed of UV Express (82 percent), public utility jeepneys (75 percent), mini-buses (45 percent) and buses (86 percent), have consolidated under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

The initial deadline for consolidation was last December 31, 2023. Those who failed to consolidate or join transportation cooperatives only had until January 31, 2024 to operate and ply their routes.

Since the start of the modernization program in 2017, a total of 1,728 cooperatives and corporations have been established, with 262,344 members having joined or consolidated.

The PUVMP aims to improve the public transport system in the country and make both commuting and public transportation operations more dignified, humane, and at par with global standards.

It also seeks to provide Filipino commuters with a comfortable ride by providing a safer, more efficient, reliable, convenient, affordable, climate-friendly, and environmentally sustainable transportation system in the country.

Earlier, the House Committee on Transportation adopted a resolution urging President Marcos Jr. to extend the grace period in the implementation of the Passenger Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

The panel chaired by Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop recommended the extension of the January 31 deadline given to unconsolidated PUVs because starting February 1, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will treat these jeepneys as “colorum” or illegally operating because the