ALMOST COMPLETE. Lawyer Laird Dionel Urbanozo, officer-in-charge of the Transportation Development Office of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Cordillera Administrative Region (LTFRB-CAR), on Friday (Jan. 26, 2024) said over 90 percent of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the region have consolidated as of end-October 2023. The government has extended the deadline for consolidation of PUVs until April 30, 2024. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)
BAGUIO CITY – Around 93.44 percent of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and 97 percent of utility vehicle express (UVE) in the Cordillera have consolidated prior to the latest three-month extension of the deadline.
In an interview Friday, lawyer Laird Dionel Urbanozo, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Cordillera Administrative Region (LTFRB-CAR) Transportation Development Office officer-in-charge, said 93.44 percent of the 5,034 units servicing the more than 800 jeepney routes have joined either a cooperative or corporation formed by the holders of the certificates of public convenience (CPC).
For UVE routes, 34 of the 35 routes, or around 425 of the 427 units, have also consolidated and formed their cooperatives or corporations.
“We are still hopeful that the remaining CPC holders will take advantage of the extension for consolidation with different scenarios presented in the first circular, with the possibility of revocation of their CPC if they do not comply,” Urbanozo said.
He assured the public that the agency does not see any disruption of transport service in areas where there might be CPC holders who will opt not to consolidate or join a consolidated group since there are several overlapping routes.
“We have already mapped out possibilities and have come up with a list of consolidated groups that can cover adjacent or overlapping areas in cases of possible revocation of the franchises of those who will not consolidate. Before the end of the extension period, we will make sure that the mapped routes will have special permits to serve the affected routes,” he added.
Urbanozo also clarified that the government does not choose suppliers of modern jeepneys that the cooperatives need to tap.
“The Board [LTFRB] simply certifies that a supplier is compliant to the PNS (Philippine National Standards). The associations, cooperatives or corporations are the ones that will decide from whom to purchase and negotiate with or even to import if they desire,” he said.
“The LTFRB had been encouraging local suppliers to produce based on the PNS requirements and there are local manufacturers they can choose to negotiate with,” he added. (PNA)
