LTFRB: Less than half of pre-pandemic public jeepney routes have returned

Only less than half of the public utility jeepney (PUJ) pre-pandemic routes have been restored, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Monday.

LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III made the response when asked by Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel how many pre-pandemic PUJ routes nationwide have been restored so far given that the operation of the public utility vehicles (PUV) was greatly reduced for the last two years to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

“I do not have the exact numbers, but less than half [of PUJ routes] nationwide [have] been restored,” Guadiz said during the House appropriations panel hearing on the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) proposed P214.3 billion budget for 2024.

He, however, said that 65% of the pre-pandemic routes of Metro Manila public buses have been restored, while 90% of provincial buses’ pre-pandemic routes are  back.

Likewise, Guadiz said that 45 pre-pandemic routes of PUJs in Metro Manila have returned.

Still, Guadiz conceded that there is more to be done in restoring the pre-pandemic routes of PUVs nationwide amid the government’s push for modernization.

Under the PUV modernization program, PUJ operators and drivers can avail of the government e-jeepneys, which costs as much as P1.5 million to P2 million per unit, on a loan, provided that they are a part of a consolidated cooperative.

“With the recent development and development of routes, we are still looking for possible routes for other jeeps (PUJs),” Guadiz added.

The LTFRB chief also said that 75% of the routes are being operated by consolidated cooperatives.

Given the situation, Manuel said the LTFRB should prioritize providing incentives to local manufacturers to bring down the cost of modern jeepneys and make it accessible to PUJ operators and drivers.

“We should look at our local manufacturers first, otherwise, it is only the foreign manufacturers who will cash in on this,” he said.

Transportation Undersecretary Anneli Lontoc, in response, said they have already reached out to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for such an initiative to give incentives to local jeepney manufacturers.

“It is the DTI who talks to the local manufacturers for this,” Lontoc said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News