The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) formalized the extension of the deadline for operators of public utility jeepneys (PUJs), UV Express, and multicabs or FILCABs until the end of the year.
Early last month, the LTFRB announced it will extend the June 30 deadline for franchise consolidation of the said public transport modes under the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) to December 31, 2023.
On March 29, the agency issued Memorandum Circular 2023-017 which recalls MC 2023-013 which set the deadline for public utility vehicles (PUV) to consolidate into a single cooperative or corporation.
In issuing MC 2023-017, the LTFRB said it “heeded the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for a further review of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).”
The latest circular extends the deadline for “industry consolidation” for routes without filed applications for consolidation until December 31, 2023.
The LTFRB said the new circular is in line with the directive of the President and Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista "to revisit the PUV modernization program and to assess the level of compliance by the stakeholders."
The agency said it will continue to push for consolidation and consult with all stakeholders to be able to come up with a better public transport modernization program that will benefit both operators and drivers and the commuting public.
Under the new circular, the "validity of Provisional Authority pursuant to MC No. 2022-033 is hereby extended until 31 December 2023, without need of filing an extension."
The new circular also further "emphasized that operators are encouraged to consolidate during the period of extension granted."
"We issued the new circular because we understood the wisdom of the President and the DOTr Secretary in calling for further review of the PUVMP and make it even more dynamic, flexible, and responsive to the needs of operators and drivers and ultimately the riding public, who will benefit from a convenient, accessible, safe and secure, and affordable public transportation system," said LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III. — DVM, GMA Integrated News