BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTRB-CAR) said that the region has achieved close to 97 percent consolidation of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and UV express vans pursuant to the government’s public transport modernization program as of May 331, 2024.
LTFRB-CAR public transport modernization program focal person Engr. Elmer Mendoza claimed that the region realized 96.89 percent consolidation of jeepneys while for UV express vans, the consolidation rate was pegged at 96.96 percent.
Industry consolidation is part of the public transport modernization program which refers to strategically merging smaller transport industry players to form into a legal entity either by organizing cooperatives or corporations, among others, through the help of the Office of the Transport Cooperative and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
Based on the data obtained from the LTFRB-CAR, there are some 842 existing routes in the region with 675 routes being operated by consolidated entities which is equivalent to around 93.35 percent.
Further, there are some 5,038 available units of jeepneys plying the existing routes where some 4,880 authorized units have already consolidated certificates of public convenience or a 96.86 percent consolidation rate.
For UV express, there are 27 existing routes serviced by these vehicles with 26 routes being operated by consolidated entities, equivalent to 96.30 percent.
In terms of the number of authorized units, there are some 427 existing units where there are now some 414 authorized units operating under consolidated CPCs equivalent to 96.96 percent.
Mendoza pointed out that the consolidation of the jeepneys and UV express is just the initial phase of the public transport modernization program because guidelines for fleet management will be subject to the issuance of guidelines by the LTFRB central office.
According to him, some 67 of the 83 local governments units (LGUs) in the region have already submitted their respective local public transport route plan which is subject for assessment and review by the regulatory agency and awaiting the issuance of their respective special notice of compliance or notice of compliance depending on their approved plan.
The LPTRP details the route network identified, mode of service that shall operate on the routes and the required number of units per mode for delivering public land transport services in various local governments in the region.
Local governments with approved LPTRPs with no proposed intra-LGU fixed routes due to certain conditions shall be issued the special notice of compliance by the LTFRB while local governments with approved LPTRPs with proposed intra-LGU fixed routes will be issued the notice of compliance.
The extended consolidation of vehicles pursuant to the government’s public transport modernization program already expired last April 30, 2024 and that the LTFRB-CAR is simply awaiting the guidance on the next steps that will be undertaken for those uncoordinated vehicles.
However, Mendoza explained that expected from consolidation are those jeepneys plying various routes and are less than four nits although they can join the consolidated ones in nearby routes. By Dexter A. See
