MANILA (UPDATED) -- Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has assured protesting drivers that unconsolidated jeepney operators and drivers will be allowed to ply their routes again.

"Yun pong desisyon na makabalik kayo, nandyan na iyan," Dizon told members of a transport group. "Nagbigay na ako ng direktiba diyan."

But he asked drivers for more time to come up with a mechanism to legalize their operations.

Dizon stressed, however, that the mechanism won't be stressful for drivers.

"Sisisguraduhin ko ho, na ang importante, makabiyahe kayo nang legal," he said.

"Konti na lang po ito, pangako ko po sa inyo 'yan," he added.

'Just' transition urged for jeepneys amid 'final' deadline for consolidation

Dizon earlier vowed to look into the slow franchise consolidation process for public utility vehicles after finding out that only less than half of PUVs in the country have fully complied with the modernization requirement.

Previously, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had been touting an 86 percent nationwide consolidation rate.

But during a press conference in Pasig, Dizon confirmed reports that only 43 percent of that figure have had their applications approved by the LTFRB so far.

The applications of the other half were still being processed even though some of them were filed way back in late 2023.

Apart from reviewing the LTFRB’s data, Dizon has also invited different transport groups, including Manibela which is currently on strike, for a dialogue to get a clearer picture of what’s happening on the ground.

“Ang tanong ko, bakit ganun? Ano ang rason bakit hindi lahat naa-approve? Requirements ba nila? Kailangan bang ayusin ng LTFRB yung route rationalization? Ilan ba ang nagwithdraw? Meron bang mga na-deny at pinaka importanteng tanong dyan, bakit?” wondered Dizon.

According to Dizon, who was only appointed in February, under his leadership, the DOTr is willing to implement certain changes to the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) beyond just extending the deadline for consolidation.

Among the things he was considering is possibly allowing unconsolidated jeepneys to renew their provisional authority to operate.

“Ang pinag-uusapan natin dito kabuhayan ng mga driver at operator natin. Ang pinaglalaruan natin dito buhay ng tao yan e. Hindi tayo basta-basta pwedeng magsabi na ihihinto natin yan, hindi natin papayagan yan,” he said.

“Kung ang ibig sabihin nyan, hindi muna natin ipipilit ang nationwide implementation then I think we will have to make that decision soon,” added Dizon.