Traditional public jeepneys affected by the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program may be converted as private vehicle, provided that it will pass all the necessary test, the Land Transportation Office said Friday.

It is also the hope of LTO chief Vigor Mendoza that jeepney operators and drivers would opt and just comply not to be on their routes come 1 February, if they choose not to join the PUVMP through consolidation or becoming members of cooperatives.

"They can have it (their jeepneys) registered as private provided that it will pass our (LTO) test," Mendoza said during a joint press conference held at the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board main office in Quezon City.

The Department of Transportation through LTFRB earlier said that after 31 January this year, traditional jeepneys which were not registered or join the consolidation can no longer ply their routes.

Atty. Zona Russet Tamayo, LTFRB National Capital Region Director, jeepneys which do not enrolled to PUVMP will be considered "colorums' as their franchises have already been revoked through the implementation of modernization.

Tamayo said the drivers and operators of these traditional jeepneys' franchises are already terminated by end of this month.

"They can drop the franchises and register as private," Tamayo explained, hinting that this should be done, as the LTO will also check it to their agency.

"They can have it converted to food or kiosk vehicles," DOTr Office of Transportation Cooperatives head Andy Ortega told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Mendoza on the other end suggested too that these jeepneys can be turned delivery vehicles, provided it passed all the necessary procedures of converting their PUVs into private vehicles.

"We can change their yellow plates with white ones, used by private vehicles. Again provided they passed all our tests (smoke emissions, road worthiness etc.)," Mendoza explained.

He added that, also come February, they will strictly implement a 'no registration, no travel' policy with the start of 2024 as a renewal year for all vehicle registrations.

"Included here are the jeepneys that loss their franchises. So they should not go on the roads or else they will be apprehended and their vehicles impounded. It carries a five year imprisonment plus fines," Mendoza explained.

He added that beginning 1 February, expect a lot of LTO officials and deputies on the road guarding all this violations.