PUJ operators to suffer repercussions if they don’t claim PPP cards

WEIGHING THE COST. Jeepney operators not only risk losing their franchises, but their drivers also won’t be able to charge the new rate if they don’t collect their Pantawid Pasada Program cards. (SUNSTAR FILE FOTO)
WEIGHING THE COST. Jeepney operators not only risk losing their franchises, but their drivers also won’t be able to charge the new rate if they don’t collect their Pantawid Pasada Program cards. (SUNSTAR FILE FOTO)

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 will not renew the franchises of public utility jeepney (PUJ) operators who refuse to avail themselves of the government-funded fuel subsidy cards.

The LTFRB 7 will shut its doors to operators if they don’t secure their Pantawid Pasada Program (PPP) cards.

Eduardo Montealto Jr., LTFRB 7 director, said operators will not also be allowed to get the fare matrix for the new minimum fare, which went up from P6.50 to P8 last month.

The LTFRB 7 implemented these rules to force operators to get their PPP cards at the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) branch on Osmeña Blvd. corner P. del Rosario St. in Cebu City.

Of the 10,600 PPP cards allocated for Central Visayas, Montealto said only 35 percent (3,710) of the operators claimed theirs.

Each card contains P5,000 as fuel subsidy, which aims to unburden operators from the effects of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Law, which implemented excise tax on petroleum products.

In 2019, the government started giving P20,000 worth of fuel subsidy that will be released in four quarters, or P5,000 every three months.

Montealto said the second tranche will not be distributed if there are still unclaimed PPP cards.

Last August, the LTFRB 7 received the first batch of 5,354 PPP cards. More than 1,000 cards remain unclaimed.

On March 28, 2019, the second batch of more than 5,000 cards were delivered to the LTFRB 7.

Based on the LTFRB 7’s registry, nearly 12,000 PUJ units ply the streets of Cebu and other provinces in Central Visayas.

Montealto said several operators might have opted not to claim their PPP cards as they didn’t want to antagonize their drivers, who also wanted to receive financial assistance.

He said some drivers got angry and complained that they should receive the cards because they were the ones driving and renting the operators’ PUJ units.

The other reason behind the unclaimed cards could be that some operators sold their franchises to other operators but the franchises are still under their names, Montealto said. The PPP card has the name of the original PUJ operator.

On Aug. 13, 2016, LTFRB 7 prohibited the sale of a franchise. (FROM SCG OF SUPERBALITA CEBU / KAL)

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