President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has extended the consolidation deadline for public utility vehicles until April 30, Malacañang announced Wednesday, January 24.
Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Marcos extended the deadline upon the recommendation of Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista.
“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista’s recommendation, granting an additional three months until April 30, 2024 for the consolidation of public utility vehicles,” Garafil said in a statement.
“This extension is to give an opportunity to those who expressed intention to consolidate but did not make the previous cut-off,” she added.
Last month, Marcos rejected calls to extend the Dec. 31 deadline for the consolidation of PUV operators and drivers.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board reported that 145,721 units or 76 percent of PUVs and utility vehicle (UV) express have consolidated.
PUVs that failed to consolidate under cooperatives on Dec. 31, 2023 and those plying routes with no cooperatives can operate until Jan. 31 only.
Unconsolidated jeepneys in routes with at least 60 percent of units that consolidated would no longer be able to renew their provisional authorities to operate.
Under the government’s PUV Modernization Program, operators and drivers will be organized into cooperatives or corporations to ensure the efficiency of its operations with an upgraded fleet of low-carbon emission, safe and efficient PUV units. *PNA