By Brian Jules Campued
Public transport vehicles in the National Capital Region would be sufficient after 97.18% of registered public utility jeepneys in the metro have consolidated in 2023, the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Monday.
LTFRB regional director Zona Russet Tamayo asserted that there will be no problems in public transport, adding that the agency has contingency plans if challenges may arise.
“Right now, as mentioned po ng ating chair sa MMDA, we have coordinated po with MMDA as well as with different LGUs in case that there would be need. But right now po we’ve map[ped] out for NCR and we already determine[d] that there will be sufficient supply po,” Tamayo said.
Transport officials were asked during a press briefing in Malacañang regarding the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) and if there would be enough vehicles to serve the public following 70% of transport franchises having consolidated throughout the country.
“When we map out the routes in NCR majority po ng ating main thoroughfares ay may nag-consolidate or may mag-o-operate na transport, public transport po it’s in other modes perhaps buses, UVs, and even jeepneys,” Tamayo added.
The LTFRB official also clarified that the routes in NCR which have not consolidated were those considered as “short distance routes”. However, these short distances can already be covered by “longer routes”.
Following the December 31 deadline for consolidation, the Board said it has already issued the circular for non-consolidating franchises and they will assess during the first part of January whether routes have attained 60% or less consolidation or no consolidation at all.
“This we’re doing for January. And then, once po na nakita natin at mayroon na pong ilalabas na datos po ang LTFRB for that on the routes pertaining to the percentage of consolidation, then we’d move to the next stage which is iyon hong hindi nag-consolidate will no longer be allowed to run the routes, except po if as we see, as we analyze po, there might be the need,” Tamayo said.
“But sa ngayon for those who have not consolidated, by February 1, they will no longer be allowed to ply their routes,” she continued.
Assistance to drivers, operators
Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it is providing assistance programs to drivers and operators who have failed to consolidate their franchise, Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) chairman Jesus Ferdinand Ortega said.
Among the programs being implemented by the government include the “EnTSUPERneur” initiative of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the “Tsuper Iskolar” of the Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA) which are aimed to improve the livelihood of public transport drivers and operators affected by the PUVMP.
The DOTr allocated funding to the “EnTSUPERneur” program to aid DOLE in rolling out its DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), aimed to provide capital and capacity building on livelihood and entrepreneurship for affected workers.
Meanwhile TESDA’s “Tsuper Iskolar” program will provide scholarships and livelihood training to drivers, operators, and their families, according to a statement from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
“They could avail the program set by DOLE and by Tesda. These are for those that are affected, either driver or operator especially those that hindi nag-consolidate. So ‘yun ‘yung programs of the government for them,” Ortega added. – avds
