The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has reopened applications to consolidate public utility vehicles (PUVs) under the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, in a May 6 order, outlined the guidelines for the reopening of consolidation applications and issuance of provisional authority for unconsolidated individuals and operators.

The order covers jeepney and UV Express operators who held provisional authority but were unable to consolidate, those with units confirmed by the LTFRB and registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) from 2023 to 2024, and those with pending consolidation motions.

In an interview at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) office, LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III clarified that the reopening of the consolidation applications had no deadline, yet a cutoff may be identified in the future.

“We are not restricting ourselves to a self-imposed deadline. We will first estimate how many have consolidated from among the 15 percent who have not done so, and if it is substantial enough, then we will eventually put a closure on the first phase of the industry consolidation,” Guadiz said.

Guadiz said those applying for consolidation will be provided provisional authority, lasting for one year.

Unconsolidated jeepneys & UVs may join existing consolidated Transport Service Entities on routes with 60 percent of higher consolidation.

They may also form new entities in areas with less than 60 percent consolidation, but only if they were previously granted provisional authority to operate on such routes.

Creation of new and developmental routes where consolidation has not yet occurred is also possible under the reapplication.

Transport group Mamibela, led by Mar Valbuena pushed back on the Department Order, saying that the order was far from their requests made during meetings with the transport secretary.

“The [department order] is far from what we talked about during our last meeting, where we wished to be allowed to register even if we are not consolidated, to return our franchises, or even just give us provisional authority… we are saddened that this department’s decisions are contrary [to our calls],” it said in a Facebook post.

The PTMP, initially started in 2017 by former President Rodrigo Duterte, required PUVs to operate under a cooperative for the renewal of their provisional authorities and for PUVs to transition from traditional jeepneys to modernized units. Yzabela Velez-White/DMS