The rationalization of routes, which is the second phase of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), will be completed in the next two years, an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
And once the route rationalization is finalized, DOTr Undersecretary Jesus Ferdinand Ortega said they would proceed with the next phase of the modernization program which is to replace dilapidated traditional jeepneys with modernized units.
Ortega explained that the shift to the second phase of the program was brought by the increase in the number of consolidated operators and drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs).
He said the figure is now 86 percent but the DOTr did not provide the actual figure.
But before President Marcos approved the three-month extension of the consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in January 2024, the national government had established 1,728 cooperatives and corporations with 262,344 members.
The rationalization of routes for each local government unit (LGUs) is under the Local Public Transport Route Plans (LPTRP) of the PTMP.
The rationalization will determine whether a certain route for each LGU has adequate or inadequate PUV units operating in their jurisdiction.
“This will take two years. The LGus, the DOTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will check every route to determine the number of vehicles in every route,” said Ortega.
The LPTRP is a plan detailing the route network, identified mode of service that shall operate on the routes, and the required number of units per mode for delivering public land transport services.
It also includes the frequency of dispatch/headway, location of stops, and other transport facilities, among others. The plan is formulated by LGUs and shall serve as the basis for the issuance of the CPCs by the LTFRB.
“This will happen for the next two years. After the next two years, that is the time that we will start the replacement of old and dilapidated to modern vehicles,” Ortega said.