What will happen on February 1, when public utility vehicles (PUVs) that did not consolidate will no longer be allowed to operate?
Transportation officials said there will be random checks to ensure that jeepneys plying the roads are consolidated while sanctions will be imposed to those that would still operate sans consolidation.
Jeepneys that were not consolidated have been allowed to operate until January 31 this year.
However on Feb. 1, only consolidated PUVs are allowed to ply their routes. To ensure that this would be implemented, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), will inspect vehicles to check the legitimacy of their registration.
"Initially po, we will have a partnership with LTO and MMDA. We will have a random check nung mga jeepney, titignan po namin yung kanilang mga papeles (of the jeepneys, we will check their papers)," LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said in a Palace briefing on Monday, Jan. 15.
"Eventually we will be issuing stickers parang yung nakikita po ninyo sa pinapaskil ng LTO para ma-determine po namin na kung yung isa ngang jeep ay miyembro po ng isang consolidated entity (like those that are issued by LTO to determine if the jeepney is a member of a consolidated entity)," Guadiz added.
According to LTFRB-NCR Regional Director Zona Russet Tamayo, drivers and operators have been instructed to bring with them their current registration with the LTO and a copy of their application for consolidation to prove that their unit is included in the consolidation.
"[W]e have made already the issuance and instructed them that, sa pamamasada po nila, they are supposed to have with them their current registration with the LTO as well as a copy of their application that their unit is included in their application for consolidation," Tamayo said.
The LTFRB official explained that aside from consolidation, their registration with the LTO will also be checked because "if you are not registered for the year...then you’re not supposed to ply your route."
She also noted that less than a thousand registered vehicles in Metro Manila did not apply for consolidation.
Sanctions, on the other hand, would be based on existing rules of the LTO on unregistered units while those that are not consolidated would be sanctioned under "the joint administrative order (JAO) which is being implemented or will be implemented by LTO."
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said that all jeepney operators who failed to consolidate are deemed colorum, or are illegally operating.
Under JAO 2014-01, PUVs found operating without registration or are deemed colorum will be fined or may be impounded.
No public transport problem
While fears are mounting over a possible transport crisis come February, the LTFRB is confident that there will be sufficient public transportation, at least in the National Capital Region (NCR).
"[W]hen we map out the routes in NCR majority po ng ating (of our)main thoroughfares ay may nag-consolidate or may mag-o-operate na transport (have PUVs that undergone consolidation and are operating), public transport po it’s in other modes perhaps buses, UVs and even jeepneys," Tamayo said.
"So, when we map out iyong mga (the) routes that have consolidate, we strongly believe that there will no problems in terms of public transport. However, in case nga po mayroon ‘no (if there is), of course we have to have that contingency plans as well," the LTFRB official assured.
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