When Cebu completes route plan: More modern public jeepneys expected

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu will have more modernized public utility jeepneys (MPUJs) in the coming months once Cebu’s Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) is completed.

Eduardo Montealto Jr., regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7, told The FREEMAN yesterday that they are targeting 3,500 MPUJs operating in Cebu and even more, given that the number of passengers is increasing.

“Ang kanang 3,500 units mao ni ang atong gi-target and we can expect more inig human aning LPTRP sa Cebu Province,” Montealto said.

The crafting of the province’s LPTRP will be done in 45 days -- from February 1, 2023 to March 17, 2023.

Montealto said earlier that within the 45-day period, the province has the commitment to finish the crafting and submit LPTRP with the given timeline with LTFRB.

He said that once the LPTRP is completed, these routes would have permanent PUVs.

The first three days of workshop for LPTRP with all the local government units’ planning officers under the jurisdiction of the Province of Cebu, will be done beginning February 7 to 9, 2023.

 Another three days will be devoted for the first submission until the final submission.

Currently, Cebu has 1,214 MPUJs that are operational, as well 4,000 traditional PUJs, which are expected to be "consolidated" by March 31, 2023.

By consolidation, Montealto said that these 4,000 TPUJs will be converted to around 2,000 units of MPUJs.

“Kay one MPUJ is equivalent to two TPUJs kay mas daghan man og sulod nga pasahero ang MPUJ,” Montealto said.

He said that before March 31, 2023, LTFRB-Manila will issue a new memorandum order about this consolidation but still the TPUJs that are not yet consolidated, as well as those that were already consolidated but which units have not arrived yet from abroad, will still be given an extended deadline.

Other TPUJ operators, however, were still waiting for funding for their old units to be replaced with MPUJs.

The price of one unit of MPUJ ranges from P1.9 million to P2.8 million and the government subsidized P160,000 per unit (if loan is made in a government bank) or P360,000 per unit (if loan is made in a private bank).

“Naay uban operators nagpaabot pa kanus-a ma-release ang ilang loan unya naa pud uban nagpaabot kanus-a moabot ang ilang gi-order nga mga unit,” Montealto said.

Montealto added that a total of 117 MPUJs and 45 buses are now operating the routes from North and South Cebu to I.T. Park in Cebu City, as the 35 MPUJs were not given special permits to extend their routes to I.T. Park.

Although the 35 MPUJs were no longer given special permits to extend their routes up to I.T. Park, the 45 buses, however, serve the gap since their routes stretch up to I.T. Park.

Montealto said that pre-pandemic, I.T. Park has 15,000 employees but now it has 55,000 employees. About 90 percent or 49,500 employees are dependent on public transportation.

He expects more units to be added to cater to the I.T. Park route.

Montealto further said that 30 units of MPUJs were launched the other day and were operating starting yesterday after he gave the operators a probational authority to operate.

He said that the 30 units are operating in five routes whose cooperatives are under the Federation of Cebu Transport Cooperative like the Lahug Apas Transport Cooperative (LATRANSCO), Inayawan Transport Cooperative (INTRASCO), Pit-Os Talamban Mandaue Transport Cooperative (PITAM), and El Pardo Transport Cooperative. — JMD (FREEMAN)