Speaker Martin Romualdez has vowed to pursue legislation that will enable PUV drivers to have a stable and fixed income amid the government’s transport modernization push.
“We are exploring avenues to provide fixed income opportunities for drivers. This move aims to stabilize their earnings, helping them to plan and secure their financial futures more effectively. We believe that a stable income will not only benefit the drivers but will also contribute to a more organized and reliable transport system,” he said.
Romualdez earlier called for a congressional inquiry into the alleged corruption surrounding the government’s jeepney modernization program.
Until measures to help PUV drivers are in place, Romualdez said he was appealing to the DOTr “to conduct a complete review of the modernization program and extend the period of its implementation.”
As this developed, the president of the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) said the PUV Modernization Program would help ease the traffic congestion in the country.
“This PUV modernization is the solution to the heavy traffic…We really have to follow the rules and regulations set by the government,” LTOP national president Orlando Marquez Sr. said.
“Let’s start with the consolidation process. It will be followed by the process that paves the way for road rationalization,” he added.
About 145,721 units or 76 percent of all PUVs operating in fixed routes nationwide are consolidated or have applied for consolidation, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said Friday.
The LTFRB said the consolidation rate for public utility jeepneys has reached 73.9 percent while UV Express units have reached 82 percent.