By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
Only 77.2 percent of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) in Western Visayas have met the consolidation requirement of the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP), according to data from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Region 6 (LTFRB-6).
The number represents a total of 6,584 PUJs consolidated following the “final” deadline set by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for April 30.
The mandatory consolidation measure of the PUVMP requires individual franchise-holders and operators of PUJs to form or join cooperatives or corporations. This initiative aims to phase out older jeepneys with modern units.
As the final consolidation deadline passed, at least 1,950 traditional jeepneys in Western Visayas lost the franchises previously granted to them.
Iloilo recorded the highest number of consolidated jeepney units at 99 percent, with 1,953 units, followed by Guimaras with 165 units at 98 percent, and Antique with 380 units at 97 percent.
Other provinces showed lower consolidation rates: Negros Occidental at 91 percent, Aklan at 89 percent, Capiz at 82 percent, and Iloilo City at 75 percent. Bacolod City recorded the lowest rate with only 50 percent, or 1,151 units, out of a total of 2,313 jeepney units.
The region has a total of 8,534 PUJs based on the October 2023 baseline units.
DEADLINE EXTENSIONS
Despite an initial deadline of December 2023, the LTFRB extended the deadline to April 30, 2024, following requests from unconsolidated PUV operators. This three-month extension aimed to provide an opportunity for those unable to meet the earlier deadline.
Atty. Salvador “Jun” Altura, officer-in-charge of LTFRB-6, previously explained to Daily Guardian that Iloilo City and Bacolod City would no longer require consolidation since their Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) had been approved and the routes awarded.
As of December 2023, Iloilo City and Bacolod City have reached a consolidation rate of 75 percent and 24 percent, respectively.
However, the LTFRB approved a resolution on April 11, allowing an extension for Bacolod City’s consolidation application due to the low consolidation rate, which could hinder regular travel and economic growth.
The extension allowed 528 operators and drivers in Bacolod City to comply with the consolidation requirement.
The LTFRB also announced that unconsolidated PUJs would be given a 15-day grace period to continue operating before the Land Transportation Office begins impounding vehicles.
“Initially, during the first 15 days, we will just warn the people, give them reminders. It won’t be immediate,” LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said in a DZBB radio interview on April 29.
