Carpooling rules tweaked to avoid competing with PUVs

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Monday the proposed carpooling program will be restricted so it will not take passengers away from franchised public utility vehicles. Speaking at a press briefing at MMDA’s head office in Pasig City, MMDA Chairman Don Artes said the government was shaping the rules to ensure carpooling remains a limited, point-to-point arrangement and does not operate like regular public transport. Artes said the proposed setup would ban roadside pickup and drop-off, and only allow fixed pickup and drop-off points. He said the government also wants to limit carpooling vehicles to two trips a day — one in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening — so they would not function like jeepneys, buses or UV Express units. “Again, it should not function like our regular transport services because we also do not want it to take passengers away from the legitimate operators with franchises that are operating, such as jeepneys, buses, and our UV Express,” Artes said. The program would be open to the public, including individual car owners, as well as companies that want to set up shuttle services for their workers. He said even nearby offices in the same building or area may later be allowed to share shuttle arrangements. He said the fare structure would also be regulated so participants would not overcharge commuters. Transport authorities can set parameters to keep contributions close to regular transport costs while still allowing drivers to recover fuel, maintenance and possible parking expenses. Artes urged participants not to abuse the system by treating it as a profit-driven business. He said routes would have to be declared in the application and reflected in the special permit to be issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Artes said the government was considering issuing QR codes that would indicate the restrictions attached to each approved carpool unit. Artes said the LTFRB was expected to issue the guidelines after Holy Week, with the government aiming to launch the program as early as the following week.

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