A year after the original deadline lapsed.
In its announcement on Wednesday, May 7, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said that the government will be reopening the application process for the consolidation program of public utility vehicle (PUV) operators and drivers under the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).
Effective through the Department Order (DO) No. 2025-009, they are allowed to join existing cooperatives or form their own, and to operate in routes with existing similar entities.
According to Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said that the new DO prioritizes to address the financial burden of individual operators and struggling cooperatives, who had to take loans from banks due to the high cost of modernized units, and other fees for registration and consolidation.
“Kailangan natin tulungan yung mga nag-modernisa na at sumama na sa programa. Sila ang priority natin, kailangan natin bigyan sila ng reprieve para hindi na sila malugi,” said Dizon.
Meanwhile, the adjustments in the reopening of the process not only aim to help drivers, but also address the lack of vehicles in some routes.
“’Yun ang option ngayon ng mga hindi nakapasok noong April 2024—they can either join an existing consolidated cooperative or they can form their own. Pero para sa mga below 60% sa mga ruta na hindi pa ganun karami ang buma-biyahe, pwede silang pumasok dun,” Secretary Dizon explained.
Old jeepney units that will be included in the application shall be subjected to thorough road worthiness checks for passenger safety, which has been a mandate of the department in light of recent incidents at SCTEX and NAIA.
“Covered PUJ and UVE Operators may be allowed to consolidate (form a new TSE or join an existing TSE) in routes with less than 60% consolidation, provided that they were previously granted authority to operate on the said routes,” the new order added.
Meanwhile, unconsolidated operators may be allowed to operate in existing and rationalized routes without consolidated TSEs, pending the implementation of the transfer plan, the DOTr revealed.
The PTMP was started in 2017, with major opposition from sector groups and the COVID-19 pandemic leading to its delayed implementation until April 2024, when the original deadline lapsed.
After which, unconsolidated PUVs were declared “colorum” and were not allowed to operate.
However, following a request from the Senate, the Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) briefly reopened the application process for 45 days from October to November 2024.