THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) has reopened applications for the consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in line with the government's Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), formerly known as the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP).
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon signed Department Order No. 2025-009 on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, outlining the guidelines for the reopening of consolidation applications and the issuance of provisional authorities (PAs) for unconsolidated individuals and operators.
The order covers public utility jeepney (PUJ) and UV Express (UVE) operators who previously held provisional authorities (PAs) but failed to consolidate, including those with units duly confirmed by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) from 2023 to 2024, as well as those with pending motions to accept consolidation.
Under the order, unconsolidated PUJs and UVEs may join existing consolidated Transport Service Entities (TSEs) on routes with 60 percent or higher consolidation, or form new TSEs in areas with less than 60 percent consolidation, provided they were previously granted authority to operate on the said routes.
The order also outlines the guidelines for requesting new and developmental routes where consolidation has not yet occurred.
Under the PUVMP, which was initiated in 2017 by the former administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, PUVs are required to operate under a cooperative for the renewal of their provisional authorities, one of the most criticized provisions of the program.
The next stages in the PTMP are route rationalization or the assignment of transport routes, fleet management or controlling the number of operational PUVs at any given time, and the replacement of old PUVs with modern counterparts equipped with Euro 4-compliant engines, modern amenities, and safety features.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier rejected the call of the Senate to temporarily suspend the implementation of the PTMP and address first several valid and urgent concerns raised by the affected drivers and operators, particularly those who failed to comply with the consolidation deadline on April 30, 2024.
Unconsolidated PUVs were deemed colorum.
Dizon earlier said of the around 86 percent of PUVs that have applied for consolidation, only around 40 percent have been approved. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)