THE deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUVs) into cooperatives or corporations has been further extended to April 30, 2024.
This grants traditional PUV drivers an additional three months for consolidation.
This was announced after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the recommention of Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) reported on Wednesday night, Jan. 24.
The extension aims to provide an opportunity for drivers and operators who expressed an intention to consolidate but did not meet the previous deadline, according to the PCO.
The original consolidation deadline was Dec. 31, 2023.
After the Dec. 31 deadline, the government ruled that unconsolidated traditional jeepneys and UV Express units only have have until Jan. 31, 2024 to operate in routes with less than 60 percent consolidation rate.
As of mid-November, only 129,568 public utility jeepneys, UV Express, mini-buses and public utility buses had undergone consolidation, accounting for approximately 65.03 percent of all authorized PUVs nationwide.
The remaining 34.97 percent comprised 69,665 individual franchise holders.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) also noted that 120,023 PUVs nationwide were yet to be replaced with modern units.
Earlier this month, the LTFRB announced its intention to issue show cause orders to drivers who failed to comply with consolidation requirements. /
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