MANILA -- The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) assured on Monday that there would be sufficient public transport vehicles at least in Metro Manila, with 97.18 percent of the registered units of public utility jeeps have actually consolidated in Metro Manila in 2023.

In a press briefing in Malacañang on the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), transport officials were asked if there would be enough vehicles to serve the public after more than 70 percent of transport franchises consolidated throughout the country.

“I’d like to go beyond po doon 70-30 percent, because we have to consider if iyong 70 percent would already be sufficient—I’m speaking for NCR (National Capital Region) po,” LTFRB regional director Zona Russet Tamayo said.

“When we map out the routes in NCR majority po ng ating main thoroughfares ay may nag-consolidate or may mag-o-operate na transport, public transport po it’s in other modes perhaps buses, UVs and even jeepneys,” she said.

Based on the available data, 97.18 percent of the registered units of PUJs for 2023 have actually consolidated in Metro Manila, Tamayo added.

Based on LTFRB route mapping, Tamayo said agency strongly believes that there will no problems in terms of public transport. She added the LTFRB has contingency plans in case if there are challenges that may arise.

“Right now, as mentioned po ng ating chair sa MMDA, we have coordinated po with MMDA as well as with different LGUs in case that there would be need. But right now po we’ve map out for NCR and we already determine that there will be sufficient supply po,” Tamayo said.

Tamayo also said the NCR routes that have not consolidated are those considered short distance routes. But she noted there longer routes that can cover those short distances.

Explaining further, Tamayo said the government made a December 31 deadline for consolidation and the LTFRB Board has already issued the appropriate circular for non-consolidating franchises.

The LTFRB official said they will be assessing the first part of January whether routes have attained 60 percent consolidation, have less than 60 percent, or no consolidation at all.

“This we’re doing for January. And then, once po na nakita natin at mayroon na pong ilalabas na datos po ang LTFRB for that on the routes pertaining to the percentage of consolidation, then we’d move to the next stage which is iyon hong hindi nag-consolidate will no longer be allowed to run the routes, except po if as we see, as we analyze po, there might be the need,” she explained. (PND)