The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced this Wednesday that the franchise of traditional jeepney operators will be extended again until December 31, 2023. But the transport group Manibela will continue with their one-week stoppage starting Monday, March 6.
In the press briefing, LTFRB Chairman Atty. Teofilo Guadiz III, that they will issue a new memorandum circular indicating the extension of the franchise deadline for traditional jeepneys until December 31, 2023.
Such franchises were set to expire on June 30.
Guadiz made the statement a few days before the one-week suspension of the transport group Manibela from March 6 to March 12.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also stated that the planned modernization program for jeeps is not “urgent.” In addition to this, the investigation plan of what the Senate will do about the issue.
According to Guadiz, the LTFRB was not pressured by the threat of a strike by the transport group, so the franchise of traditional jeepneys will be extended.
“To be honest there is no pressure for us for this strike because more than 90% of the transport groups have signified their support to the program of the LTFRB,” said the official.
Franchise of traditional jeeps extended until December 31, 2023
“[I]n deference to the Senate resolution of Senator Grace Poe and to the request of the secretary of the Department of Transportation, we will be extending the deadline to allow the transport sector more time to consolidate,” he added.
Despite the Cadiz statement, Mar Valbuena, chairperson of Manibela, said in an interview with dzBB’s Super Radyo that their stoppage would continue.
Valbuena has not yet seen a copy of the document, but someone told him that the solution to their grievances was not among those discussed.
“2021 pinutol ang consolidation. May mga iba-ibang transport cooperative tapos nung pinutol ‘yun, di kami natapos, basura na. Back to zero. Ngayon, kung gusto namin sumali, po-proseso ulit kami pero doon na sa naunang kooperatiba na nag-comply,” he said.
“Ano implications nito? Hindi na kami magiging kooperatiba. ‘Yung mga miyembro po namin na kasama sa kooperatiba sasali sa existing kooperatiba na naunang nakapag-comply o napayagan. Ano mangyayari don? Magmi-miyembro na naman kami….May membership fee na naman. Panibagong gastos ulit,” he explained.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.