LTFRB to reopen 56 PUV routes

MANILA, Philippines — Over 50 more routes for public utility vehicles (PUVs) will be reopened this week, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced over the weekend.

LTFRB chief Cheloy Garafil said a total of 56 pre-pandemic routes shut down by the agency are being readied for reopening.

“This is in response to the request of commuters and PUV operators to open additional routes,” Garafil said at a press briefing.

Last August, the LTFRB opened 133 PUV routes in time for the resumption of face-to-face classes.

These include 68 routes for traditional and modern jeepneys, 32 for UV Express service and 33 non-EDSA bus routes.

The routes cover around 11,000 PUVs plying the university belt areas and other places with a concentration of schools and students.

The LTFRB has reopened up to 90 percent of PUV routes, which were shut down at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Meanwhile, the government has rejected the request of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for additional funding next year to continue the free rides on the EDSA busway.

During a recent hearing at the House of Representatives, DOTr officials sought an additional funding of P12 billion to sustain the free bus rides on EDSA. But the Department of Budget and Management disapproved the funding request for the program, which will benefit around 250,000 commuters daily.