President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. announced the April 30 deadline for the franchise consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUVs) will no longer be extended.
“Wala na pong extension, kailangan na kailangan na natin ‘yan,” Marcos said.
“We just have to make sure that the drivers and operators will not be burdened with the payment and loan, so we are making the system well organized,” he added.
The consolidation requires PUV operators to form cooperatives or corporations to access business financing in acquiring modern jeepney units.
It is part of the government’s PUV modernization program that started in 2017.
Failure to meet the consolidation deadline will result in the revocation of franchises of non-compliant operators, essentially barring them from operating.
The deadline for consolidation application was originally set for Dec. 31, 2023, but the President approved the recommendation of the Department of Transportation to extend the deadline to April 30. – PNA
