ILOILO City – Starting February 1, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will apprehend unconsolidated jeepney units operating as public utilities.
Only units with franchises are legally allowed to operate as public utilities, stressed Jonas Torres, chief of LTO Region 6’s Law Enforcement Service.
This impending crackdown follows the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) decision not to extend the provisional authority to operate of unconsolidated jeepneys beyond the December 31, 2023, consolidation deadline.
These units will be considered illegal or colorum if they continue operations after January 2024.
Torres emphasized that units without a valid franchise would be apprehended and fined. The penalty for operating a colorum vehicle is P50,000.
He highlighted public safety concerns, noting that unregistered or franchise-less jeepneys pose a risk to passengers, especially in accidents, due to lack of insurance coverage. Similarly, drivers of such units would be liable for all accident-related expenses due to the absence of insurance.
LTFRB Region 6 legal counsel and spokesperson Atty. Salvador Altura said unconsolidated jeepney operators were aware of the January 31 operation deadline. He urged them to accept the consequences of not participating in the modernization program and to seek alternative livelihoods after January 2024.
Led by Regional Director Eric Tabaldo, LTO-6 can easily identify both consolidated and unconsolidated jeepney units. In Iloilo City, consolidated jeepneys are marked with a sticker by the city government.
In the rest of the region, the LTO-6 will check the franchise status of jeepneys to determine their validity.
By February 1, a total of 2,756 unconsolidated units in the region will be prohibited from operating as public utilities. The breakdown of consolidated and unconsolidated units across the region is as follows:
* Iloilo City – 2,266 total units (1,692 consolidated, 574 unconsolidated)
* Bacolod City – 2,313 total units (566 consolidated, 1,747 unconsolidated)
* Iloilo Province – 1,978 total units (1,911 consolidated, 67 unconsolidated)
* Aklan – 472 total units (419 consolidated, 53 unconsolidated)
* Capiz – 482 total units (395 consolidated, 87 unconsolidated)
* Antique – 390 total units (361 consolidated, 29 unconsolidated)
* Negros Occidental – 465 total units (276 consolidated, 189 unconsolidated)
* Guimaras – 168 total units (158 consolidated, 10 unconsolidated)
This initiative is part of the Philippine public transport modernization plan, aimed at reducing air pollution and enhancing safety.
LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2023-051, issued on December 14, 2023 clarified the conditions of Provisional Authority post-December 31, 2023, and outlined guidelines for consolidated and unconsolidated transport service entities.
For Consolidation
All consolidated Transport Service Entities (TSEs) and individual operators with applications for consolidation filed on or before Dec. 31, 2023, will continue to operate under their existing Provisional Authority (PA).
This PA is valid until Dec. 31, 2024, or upon the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC), whichever comes first.
Without Consolidation
On routes without consolidated TSEs, all PAs issued to individual operators will be deemed revoked effective Jan. 1, 2024. The units authorized will not be confirmed for registration as public utility vehicles.
A show cause order will be issued in compliance with the amended Public Service Act./PN
