The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved the allocation of government subsidy to acquisition of modern jeepneys in various parts of the country.

LTFRB chairman Vigor D. Mendoza said the approval was based on the review of the applications of 25 transport cooperatives which consolidated into a group as part of the first phase of the implementation of the Public Transportation Modernization Program (PTMP).

Once finally given the go signal, Mendoza said this will pave the way for the acquisition of at least 162 units of modern jeepneys for routes that cover various areas across the country—from northern parts of Luzon to Mindanao.

“Our commitment to fast track all the pending petitions is aimed at improving the quality of service in terms of public transportation in the country. The Filipino people deserve more good services and fast government response to ensure their welfare and comfort,” said Mendoza.

“We are working double hard to resolve all these pending petitions, applications and motions without compromising the new petitions and motions,” he emphasized.

The government subsidy for each unit under the PTMP was initially set to P80,000 but it was increased to almost double recently to encourage more operators to shift to modern jeepneys.

The approval of the applications, he said, translates to more public utility vehicles on the road to cater to the growing number of Filipino commuters.

The approval is under the Expanded Equity Subsidy of the national government aimed at assisting small transport operators to acquire modern jeepneys.

The EES allows the LTFRB, through the DOTr, to partner with private and government financial institutions to help assist transport operators to avail of the loan packages for modern jeepneys.

The EES provides a significant amount as government subsidy for every unit that transport cooperatives would acquire.