BAGUIO CITY The Cordillera Offices of the Department of Transportation (DOTR-CAR) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO-CAR) urged hundreds of UV express operators to strictly comply with the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program to avoid any problem once it will be fully implemented by June next year.
DOTR-CAR and LTO-CAR regional director Francis Ray Almora pointed out that concerned government agencies do not intend to suspend the programmed implementation of the PUV modernization program and it will go on as planned, thus, the ultimate remedy for UV express operators is to comply with the prevailing order.
Almora met with UV express operators recently to discuss pertinent issues and concerns on the upcoming implementation of Department Order No. 2017-001 that prescribed the omnibus guidelines on the planning and identification of public road transportation services and franchise issuances or the so-called PUV modernization program.
The Order envisions a restructure, modern, well-managed and environmentally sustainable transport sector where drivers and operators have stable sufficient and dignified livelihoods while commuters get to their destinations quickly, safely and comfortably.
Under the Order, The PUVMP encourages industry consolidation or the strategic merging of smaller transport industry players to form into a consortium either by forming cooperatives or corporations. The PUVMP likewise adopts a Vehicle Useful Life Program which consists of policies and programs that deal with different stages of the vehicle’s useful life. This includes the provision of a Motor Vehicle Type Approval System for new vehicles, maintenance programs and improvement of Motor Vehicle Inspection System and a Scrappage Program for end-of-life vehicles.
Almora assured his all-out support to the UV express operators who are legally operating in the different parts of the Cordillera and encouraged them to spearhead the reporting of illegal UV express operations, especially those who are plying their routes that provide undue competition to them for legal opetors to be able to recover their investments on time.
“We hope that our UV express operators will heed the government’s call for their compliance to the PUV modernization program because it is really the way to go for them. Our office is willing to extend whatever available assistance that could be provided for them to comply with the requirements of the program. What is important is that they will be able to comply with the program once it will be fully implemented next year,” Almora stressed.
He warned illegal UV express operators who continue to defy orders for them to legitimize their operations that the government means business in the implementation of the PUV modernization program that is why it is time for them to shape up or eventually ship out considering that there will be no room for tolerance once the program will be in full swing.
According to him, the DOTR-CAR and LTO-CAR is always open to interested UV express operators wanting to seek pieces of advise on how to go about the compliance to the PUV modernization program because the agencies want PUV operators in the different parts of the country to be able to comply with the guidelines primarily geared towards ensuring the safety of both industry stakeholders and the passengers.
By HENT
