The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Wednesday, Jan. 3, said non-consolidated jeepneys are still allowed to ply routes until January 31.
“Yung mga hindi nag-consolidate eh papayagan sila na bumyahe for the month of January kasi nga magkakaroon pa ng final count kasi ang daming humabol eh so ifa-finalize ‘to ng buong region hanggang NCR,” DOTr–Office of Transportation Cooperatives Chairman Andy Ortega told DZRH in an interview.
Andy Ortega, Chairman, Office of Transportation Cooperatives: YUng mga hindi nag-consolidate, papayagan silang bumiyahe kasi magkakaroon pa ng final count kasi ang daming humabol.#DosPorDos#SamaSamaTayoPilipino
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) January 2, 2024
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Ortega shared that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) would still finalize the number of operators who managed to consolidate until the December 31 deadline last year.
“Then siguro after a few days may final information na at ilalabas na. Pero habang wala ’yun, byahe lang muna yung mga kaibigan nating drivers with their operators habang hinihintay yung official [information] which will come out, I think, this afternoon mula sa LTFRB naman po,” he added.
The DOTr–OTC chair clarified, however, that the consolidation deadline was final.
“Talagang final na final na po yung deadline. Talagang December 31, hanggang alas-singko po talaga. May mga humabol pa pero talagang final na yung deadline natin,” Ortega said.
He also mentioend that the emphasis of the consolidation requirement was on operators and not on jeepney drivers.
“Ang pinag-uusapan po nating deadline consolidation [ay] yung mga operators po ‘to ha, yung operators yung may mga prangkisa. Pero iba naman yung mga driver,” he said.
According to Ortega, jeepney drivers could move to operators who consolidated to continue plying their routes by February.
“Kunyari yung operator meron siyang isa, dalawa, o tatlong drivers po, ‘pag hindi nag-consolidate yung operator na ‘yun, yung driver ay pwede pong lilipat doon sa magiging bago nang may-ari ng prangkisa which in this case po ay mapupunta na eventually sa mga kooperatiba po o mga korporasyon. [Ang] driver po ay lilipat lamang ng panibagong sitwasyon [at] hindi na doon sa operator na hindi nag-consolidate,” he said.
When asked if facing charges lie ahead for non-consolidated operators after January 31, Ortega underscored due process.
“Unang-una po, due process. Diba buong January po bibigyan ng [Show Cause Order] ng LTFRB yung mga operator. Tapos sasagot po sila. So malalaman po sa sagot nila kung sila ba ay nag-consolidate o hindi. Pag hindi sila nag-consolidate, bibigyan sila ng desisyon ng LTFRB na revoke ba or canceled yung prangkisa kasi nga hindi siya nag-consolidate,” the DOTr–OTC chair said.
“Kapag natanggap na po yung papeles, yung impormasyon ng operator, eh hindi na niya dapat ilabas yung kanyang sasakyan kasi wala na po. So walang hulihan po itong mangyayari as long as yung proseso ay ibibigay at dapat sundin po yung magiging desisyon ng LTFRB,” he added.
The high tribunal earlier ordered DOTr and LTFRB for comments concerning PISTON’s pending petition for blocking the enforcement of DOTr and LTFRB’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
