The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has instructed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to address the shortage of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in Metro Manila, particularly in Quezon City.
In a radio interview, Ramon Reyes, head of the DOTr’s Road Transport and Non-Infrastructure sector, said DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez had directed the LTFRB to solve the lack of PUVs on Commonwealth Avenue and other key areas of the capital.
“The objective is to solve the problem in Commonwealth and replicate it in other areas in Metro Manila,” Reyes said. “It’s a work in progress and it would be applied to other areas for a good experience for the commuting public.”
The directive follows a recent order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to accelerate and improve commuter travel.
Lopez said he has already told the LTFRB to determine if the 3,972 public vehicles with franchises on the Commonwealth route are operational.
“If there are 3,972 PUVs here, why do there seem to be so many waiting in line?” Lopez said during the launch of the Inter-Agency for PUV and Commuter Safety at the Batasan PUV stop. “So, we have to do something more. They [LTFRB] need to check if all of them have been given franchises and if they are operational.”
“If not, just give them to those who want the franchises because it would be a waste if they are not used,” he said.
The acting transport chief said the LTFRB has sent personnel to PUV terminals and Commonwealth Avenue to check the actual number of vehicles traveling.
“They [LTFRB] need to learn—no matter how much dispatching you do if the PUVs are not really operational, there are still many problems with the supply. We have a shortage and we have to rectify it and we have to do something about it,” he said.
Lopez has given the LTFRB until Sept. 26 to assess the situation and make recommendations for increasing the supply of vehicles.
To assist commuters on Commonwealth Avenue, the Inter-Agency for PUV and Commuter Safety has deployed personnel from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), LTFRB, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). They have been stationed at PUV stops in eastbound Tandang Sora and Don Antonio Heights, and westbound Batasan, Don Antonio Heights, and Philcoa.
Barriers have also been installed at the Tandang Sora and Batasan PUV stops to improve public transport flow and ensure commuter safety.
Lopez also thanked Slex/Skyway Management for their assistance in painting and adding reflectors to the barriers for the safety of motorists.
