Metro Manila, Philippines – A transport group said the new leadership in the Department of Transportation (DOTr) should clear the air on the modernization plan that has seen delays, unmet requirements, and inconsistencies amid indications of allowing units with unconsolidated franchises to be on the road again.
In a news forum on Tuesday, April 8, the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) slammed delays in the route rationalization, a key step in franchise consolidation.
“Iyong LPTRP (local public transport route plan) hindi pa rin natatapos. So ilang years na. Kung nag-aaral ‘yung anak niyo ng abogasya, pitong o anim na taon taon. Eh heto, halos siyam na taon na hindi pa rin tapos ang study,” said Leonard Bautista, LTOP executive vice president.
“Sana matapos na at sa panahon ng ating Secretary Vince Dizon, kailangan pukpukin. Sana maisaayos talaga na maituloy ang ating PUV modernization program,” he added.
[Transportation: The LPTRP is still not finished. How many years has it been? If you have a child who’s studying law, it takes seven or six years for them to finish. But here, almost nine years and the study is still not finished…I hope it gets finished, and under our Secretary Vince Dizon, we need to push it. I hope the PUV modernization program will really be fixed and continue.]
Bernardo said the delays stem from local governments that fail to release a route network to help determine franchise consolidation.
He added that the change in local leadership during an election every three years contributes to the backlog.
Bernardo said the LTOP has offered a solution to Dizon to speed up the process.
“Ang suggestion namin sa DOTr…kapag nag-delay sa local government pwede yung DOTr na yung gumawa e. Iyon ang direksyon ngayon ng gobyerno. Aayusin ng DOTr, i-inform ang local government,” he said.
[Translation: Our suggestion to DOTr…it should take charge of the route plan if it is delayed at the local government level. That’s the direction now of the government. DOTr will fix it and will then inform the LGU.]
‘Colorum’ jeepneys on the road
Meanwhile, the group opposed calls to allow unconsolidated jeepneys on the road, and called on Dizon to listen to the majority of compliant drivers.
Recent data from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board showed that 86% of drivers have filed for consolidation since the deadline lapsed last year.
“Nag-consolidate kami since 2019, 2018. Tapos ngayon iyong unconsolidated papayagan nila. So anong nangyari sa mga sumunod? So dapat magkaroon ng konkretong plano at hindi puro band-aid solution,” said Bernardo.
[Translation: We have consolidated since 2018 and 2019. And now, will the government allow unconsolidated units? What happens then to those who complied? The government needs to come up with a concrete plan, not a band-aid solution.]
LTFRB spokesperson Ariel Inton said there is no directive yet from the DOTr as to whether it will allow unconsolidated units – which are now classified as illegal jeepneys – to be on the road again.
Dizon had earlier formed a special body to review the modernization program and vowed to provide concrete solutions immediately.
In 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ruled out further extensions for drivers and operators who failed to meet the consolidation deadline. The jeepney modernization program has spanned three DOTr leadership changes since it was launched in 2017.
