Metro Manila’s transport and development agencies are drafting new guidelines for carpooling and company-based shuttle services to provide relief to commuters struggling with rising fuel costs.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Don Artes proposed the initiative as an “immediate intervention” in a letter to Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Vigor Mendoza II.

Artes said the move aims to “ease the burden on commuters, reduce fuel consumption, and make better use of existing transport resources.”

The proposal includes a request for the LTFRB to grant special permits to privately owned vehicles without existing franchises, allowing them to operate temporarily as shuttle services.

Artes recommended simplifying the permitting process with “minimal requirements” to ensure a rapid rollout of the services.

Top officials from the MMDA, LTFRB, Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office and the Highway Patrol Group are scheduled to meet on 30 March at 10 a.m. to finalize the carpooling rules.

The move follows a global oil crisis that has significantly increased the daily cost of living for workers in the capital region.