FOUR weeks after the deadline for the consolidation of all public utility vehicles (PUV), the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB 7) continued to issue summon and show cause order (SCO) to operators.
Reynaldo Elnar, chief transportation development officer of LTFRB 7, told SunStar in a phone interview about the agency’s ongoing dissection of the nine percent unconsolidated drivers in Cebu.
When asked about the target date of when they are going to finish reviewing the final list of operators who have not consolidated their units, Elnar said "as soon as possible."
"Amo tan-awon didto kung kinsa ang mga operators na wala naka-file og consolidation… Maong ato na silang ipatawag, og dili sila muari, magpagawas nami og another order sa cancellation," Elnar said.
He said they cannot outright cancel the franchise without undergoing the due process. If the operators decide not to show up after releasing two or three more SCOs, the board members will call off the franchise.
In a latest report by SunStar Cebu last May 21, 2024, about 90 percent of transport units under the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) were consolidated in Central Visayas. This was also confirmed by Planning Officer III of LTFRB 7 Victor Coset.
The unconsolidated public utility vehicles are not allowed to ply the streets of Cebu City regardless of the issuance of a summon and SCO, but Elnar said that there are no clear directives yet from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on how they will apprehend these individuals.
“Kung ang LTFRB ang mu-operation ana, kami ang mu-impound...Ang problema, wala naman gud mi enforcement. Pero wa ko kahibalo sa LTO if mu-impound ba sila kay naghuwat pud sila og clear directives and guidelines gikan sa ilang superior,” Elnar said.
(If the LTFRB does the operation, we will impound... The problem is we don't have any enforcement. But I don't know from the LTO if they will impound because they are also waiting for clear directives and guidelines from their superior.)
Five operators had been issued with SCOs in Central Visayas since May 20, 2024 by LTFRB 7. (DPC)