President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said there would be no more extension for the April 30 deadline of the consolidation for the public utility vehicle (PUV) franchise.
"Wala na pong extension 'yung modernization. Kailangan na kailangan na natin 'yan," Marcos said during the open forum of the Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Concerns in San Juan City.
"Ang tinitiyak lang namin na hindi mapabigat pa ang babayaran at iuutang ng driver, operator kaya’t ginagawa nating maayos at ginagawa nating well organized iyong sistema na iyan," he added.
In late January, Marcos pushed back the deadline for the PUV consolidation on April 30, 2024. It originally ended last December 2023.
Initially launched in 2017, the PUV Modernization Program is the national government's attempt to replace traditional jeepneys with vehicles that have at least a Euro 4-compliant engine that will lessen pollution and are deemed roadworthy under the standards of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Groups have urged the government to support the use of locally manufactured modernized jeepneys instead of imported ones as the modernization program could cause a spike in jeepney fares with the minimum being P30 to P40.
In January, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the consolidation rate was 76.6 percent, with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) National Capital Region Director Zona Tamayo aiming to hit 85 percent.
