The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Friday announced it has approved special permits for 1,021 public utility vehicles to ensure smooth travel for Filipinos during the Holy Week.

The LTFRB said it will issue the permits to select PUVs plying routes around the country until 14 April.

“The LTFRB issues special permits during special occasions, including Holy Week, to maximize the operations of PUVs as the influx of passengers travelling to their home provinces is expected to increase before, during, and after the Holy Week,” LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said.

“This is also to ensure safe and secured travel for our Filipino commuters,” he added.

Meanwhile, the LTFRB, along with the Land Transportation Office, will conduct an inspection of PUVs at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange on 25 March, ahead of the Holy Week break, under the Oplan Bantay-Biyahe Semana Santa 2024.

Guadiz said the inspection aims to check if there are help desks set up in the terminals and do random checks on PUVs.

The LTFRB chief said the precautionary steps are in anticipation of the surge of passengers in the upcoming Lenten season. LTFRB will be on alert from 22 March until 11 April, he said.

“We will deploy LTFRB personnel for public assistance,” LTFRB spokesperson Celine Pialago said, adding PUVs will be inspected to ensure they are roadworthy. “Safety first since they are transporting people.”