ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PTMP to continue amid suspension calls—LTFRB

PTMP to continue amid suspension calls—LTFRB

Published Aug 1, 2024 08:14 am
IMG_4232.jpeg
(NOEL PABALATE/MB FILE PHOTO)

The Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), formerly Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), will push through despite calls from lawmakers to suspend its implementation.

This was the assurance given by the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to drivers and operators who have undergone consolidation for the PTMP.

“We assure the drivers, operators, and stakeholders who participated in the PTMP that it will proceed as long as there is no directive coming from the President [Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to halt the program,” LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III  said on Thursday, August 1.

The LTFRB chief said the agency respects the resolution filed by the Senate seeking the temporary suspension of the program.

The PTMP, according to Guadiz, is the government's strategy to tackle the growing transport-related challenges.

On July 31, 22 senators filed a resolution expressing the Senate's opinion to temporarily suspend the PTMP due to apprehensions about its supposedly rushed and unplanned execution.

Through Senate Resolution No. 1096, the senators brought attention to the legitimate and immediate concerns of affected drivers, groups, unions, and transport cooperatives, with a focus on the issues related to consolidation into cooperatives.

Meanwhile, the agency clarified that it permitted the operation of unconsolidated jeepneys and UV express units due to the low number of authorized units (NAU) in certain routes.

By virtue of Board Resolution No. 53, the LTFRB acknowledged that operators of jeepneys and UV Express were not able to apply for consolidation and take part in the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) due to the minimum requirement of units in a specific route for filing an application for consolidation.

According to the LTFRB, in order to guarantee that there is a enough supply of public transportation on routes with low authorized units, it permitted unconsolidated units to run without submitting a consolidation request.

But the LTFRB noted that they will have to be approved by the Local Public Transport Route Plan or the Route Rationalization Plan.

“[T]o ensure the supply of public transportation in Iow NAU routes, the Board hereby resolves to allow individual operators of PUJ and UVE on low NAU routes to operate on their existing routes without the need for filing an Application for Consolidation but subiect to the eventual approval of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPIRP) or the Route Rationalization Plan (RRP),” the LTFRB resolution stated.

In addition, the Board stated that unconsolidated jeepney and UV express units are allowed, provided their units are registered with the Land Transportation Office and have valid Personal Passenger Accident Insurance Coverage.

Previously, the LTFRB permitted applications for consolidation with fewer than 15 units if the number of Authorized Units (NAU) on the route was below 15.

Per the LTFRB,  the number of units allowed for consolidation shall cover the existing NAU in the said route.

Furthermore, it said that applications involving fewer than 15 units but not fewer than 10 units were accepted if the applicant submitted an Affidavit of Undertaking to complete the remaining units within three months from the filing date.

“Resolution 53 resolved these restrictions for drivers and operators, leading them to be allowed to operate in their existing routes,” it stated.

ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.