The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Thursday firmly backed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s pronouncement of no extension to the 31 December deadline for all jeepney drivers and operators to be consolidated.

LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz confirmed this as he led other agency officials in a meeting with the leaders of the striking public utility vehicle group, Pinag-kaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide or PISTON, and the No to PUV Phaseout Coalition.

Celine Pialago, LTFRB spokesperson, said the dialogue simplified the consolidation process under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program to the presentation of the vehicle's registration and the signing of a letter of intent by drivers and operators to join the program.

She said both parties agreed that two to three cooperatives should be allowed to operate on any given route. Also discussed was the waiving of penalties for cooperatives operating less than 15 units.

Guadiz, Pialago said, also acceded to the groups' request to be allowed to rehabilitate their traditional jeepneys and not to make the purchase of modern jeepneys mandatory.

The LTFRB's memorandum will be in Filipino so that it can be easily understood.

"The purchase of new jeepneys will not be compulsory," she said, adding that traditional jeepneys could ply their routes as long as "they are roadworthy."

President Marcos earlier said the government would not extend the deadline for consolidation as 70 percent of the operators and drivers had enrolled under the PUVMP.

Department of Transportation data showed that 153,787 out of 222,617 (or 69.08 percent) units have been consolidated, with 1,739 cooperatives formed nationwide.