Public utility vehicle operators and jeepney drivers who failed to consolidate or apply for consolidation before the 31 December 2023 deadline would still have livelihood opportunities, the Office of Transportation Cooperatives said Saturday.

In a news forum in Quezon City, OTC chairman Andy Ortega said that drivers and operators of unconsolidated PUV units can still join or be absorbed by other cooperatives or consolidated PUV entities so that they would not “ultimately lose” their livelihood.

“Before the end of December, our office already contacted cooperatives and federations of cooperatives nationwide. We already relayed to them our concern that drivers of these operators, who did not consolidate, can be absorbed by them,” he told reporters.

He noted that several cooperatives have committed to assist unconsolidated jeepney drivers.

Under the jeepneys consolidation policy of the PUV Modernization Program, permits issued to individual operators on all routes without a consolidated Transport Service Entity have been effectively revoked starting 1 January 2024.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has issued Memorandum Circular 2023-052, allowing individual operators on routes with less than 60 percent TSEs, or zero consolidated TSEs to operate until 31 January 2024.

The government has remained firm that the deadline for consolidation had already expired last 31 December, hence, all unconsolidated PUVs would be considered “colorum” or illegal and would be apprehended starting on 1 February.

Ortega said those who missed the consolidation deadline “can join another cooperative because they’re within the same industry.”

“This is what they can do. But it’s their decision,” he added.

Ortega said the strict implementation of the PUVMP would address traffic congestion and professionalize transport workers in the country.