• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez said Jan. 11 that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has extended until the end of this month the authority to operate of jeepney operators who remain unconsolidated under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
The one-month extension, from the Dec. 31 deadline for the filing of application for consolidation, “allows for a smooth transition, considering the logistical challenges in finalizing the routes that fall under the number of authorized units,” Benitez said in reaction to LTFRB Board Resolution 002-2024, dated Jan. 8.
But the mayor said “operators must ensure that their units are registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and that they possess valid Personal Passenger Accident Insurance Coverage.”
He also assured jeepney drivers and operators of his “unwavering commitment to a phased implementation of the PUVMP. This extension aims to balance the modernization program’s requirements with the practical concerns of our local operators.”
Benitez earlier said the city has forwarded the consolidation concerns of traditional jeepney operators to the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB, adding that those with provisional authority (PA) can still ply their routes, even after the Dec. 31 deadline.
He said that of the 2,313 traditional jeepney units in Bacolod, only 540, or 23 percent, underwent consolidation, as of Dec. 27.
Benitez said about 1,600 to 1,800 have PAs, and he urged operators “to proceed with plans to meet the requirements under the jeepney modernization plan. We are in discussions with LTO and LTFRB to ensure a smooth process for operators adhering to the guidelines.”
Under LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2023-052, or the guidelines in the implementation of the PUVMP after the Dec. 31 deadline for the filing of application for consolidation, “the PAs of all unconsolidated individual operators who failed to file an application or join existing consolidated transport service entities…are deemed revoked and shall no longer be allowed to operate”.
But due to logistical requirements in preparing and finalizing the list of routes for those that have consolidated, “the LTFRB Board deemed it proper to extend the authority of all affected unconsolidated individual operators until Jan. 31.”
It added that Board Resolution 002-2024 shall serve as their authority to operate; and that the concerned unit/s must be currently registered with the LTO and have valid Personal Passenger Accident Insurance, the LTFRB added. | CGC
