The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Sunday reiterated the consolidation of public utility vehicle (PUV) operators and drivers into cooperatives as vital to ensuring the efficiency of their operations.
According to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, sans consolidation, individual operations have proven inefficient and bereft of the standards of transport operations and safety.
“It’s important to consolidate now because we need efficiency of operations in land public transport. If we don’t consolidate, we will continue to operate in confusion, battling each other on the streets with no operating standards to observe, and without safety,” Bautista said in a mix of Filipino.
“Kung kanya-kanya ang operations, hindi maaayos yang public transport,” he added.
Bautista gave assurance that the DOTr, along with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Office for Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) will make sure the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) succeeds now that the deadline for consolidation expired on the last day of 2023.
“We will make the PUVMP effective,” he said.
Bautista likewise allayed the concerns of various groups as the shift to modernized transports proceeds, explaining that the transition will take time.
He added the traditional jeepneys can still ply the roads as long as these are road-worthy.
“Bakit ang kinakatakot nila na kailangan magoperate agad ng modern jeepney? Hindi naman eh. Palagi namin inuulit na yung modern jeepney darating yan as there are fund to pay for it,” he said.
The deadline for consolidation lapsed on 31 December 2023 but unconsolidated PUVs can still operate until January 31, 2024.
The PUVMP mandates the consolidation of individual operators under transport cooperatives and corporations requiring the issuance of new franchises.
