Poe: Speed up distribution of PUV drivers’ fuel subsidy

Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday urged the government to expedite the distribution of the fuel subsidy for the public utility vehicles (PUV) sector.

“The government must lose no time in distributing the fuel subsidy to PUV drivers and operators as they grapple with the weekly spike in oil prices,” Poe said in a statement.

“Along with tricycle drivers, they expect to promptly get the assistance after they were asked to open e-wallet accounts which have yet to receive aid,” she said.

As of April 26, Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) executive director Tina Cassion told GMA News Online that 150,439 beneficiaries out of over 260,000 units managed under the LTFRB were credited by the Landbank with P6,500 fuel subsidy in their cash cards which they can use to buy petroleum products.

Cassion said the LTFRB is waiting for the list of tricycle driver-beneficiaries from the Department of the Interior and Local Government while the process for crediting the fuel subsidies for the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) list of delivery rider-beneficiaries is ongoing.

“The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board must address all sources of strain so that help reaches qualified beneficiaries without further delay,” Poe said.

“We should not make our people wait any longer for the crucial assistance that they badly need at this time,” she added.

Cassion said the LTFRB is having a meeting with Landbank to fast-track the processing of crediting of subsidies to the remaining beneficiaries.

“With the election spending ban also lifted on the Service Contracting Program, we expect that more PUV drivers will be hired to give our commuters free rides on certain routes,” the senator said.

“On-time payment of our drivers will clear a bump in the road on the rollout of this valuable service,” she said.—LDF, GMA News