The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will start apprehending unconsolidated jeepneys once they receive the official guidelines from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
“We have not yet received any guidelines from LTFRB regarding unconsolidated jeepneys,” said MMDA chief information officer Sharon Gentalian.
The MMDA stated that the LTFRB will be the one to set the guidelines on the apprehension of unconsolidated jeepneys, which are already considered colorum, vehicles as they no longer have the provisional authority to ply their routes after the April 30 consolidation deadline lapsed.
LTFRB officials said they will no longer allow the operations of jeepneys that did not consolidate into cooperatives under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
Latest data from the agency showed that 61 percent of the 49,593 jeepney units in Metro Manila have consolidated.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has stated that proposals from lawmakers to give unconsolidated jeepneys one more year to comply with the government’s requirement are impossible.
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista assured that the PUV capacity is sufficient to cater passengers a month after the consolidation deadline lapsed
He said there are enough PUVs operating in Metro Manila and other cities, adding that 80 percent of operators and drivers have consolidated into cooperatives or corporations as part of the program.
“Overall, [the report of the LTFRB] is that we have enough capacity.”
