4,700 AUVs, vans lose taxi franchise

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) started cancelling late Friday the franchise of 4,700 Asian Utility Vehicles (AUVs) and vans operating as taxis after they failed to meet the deadline for their conversion to "AUV Express" units.

"We cancelled 4,700 franchises that failed to convert to AUV Express. The deadline was last Friday, Jan. 6," LTFRB chairperson Elena Bautista said yesterday.

Bautista said all unauthorized taxis plying routes in Metro Manila will be apprehended starting tomorrow.

She said the LTFRB will be sending a copy of the list of cancelled franchises to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to guide its enforcers in the apprehension of illegal units.

She said only 250 units met the deadline for conversion under Phase 1 of the AUV conversion program, which seeks to legitimize all franchises and weed out "colorum" units.

"We will move on to Phase 2 next week to convert  some 8,000 Mega Taxis to AUV Express. Our target  is the full rationalization of AUV Express service in Metro Manila before the school opening on June 6.

She said operators of the cancelled franchises can still file a motion for reconsideration once they receive the notice of cancellation.

She lamented that the operators had to wait at the last minute before they acted on their conversion to AUV Express.

"As usual, they attempted to do so at the last minute," she said.

Bautista said several operators had asked the LTFRB for consideration and begged for an extension of the deadline.

She said the LTFRB could meet tomorrow to decide if an extension of Phase 1 of the AUV Express conversion program would be granted.

AUVs and vans that have been operating illegally had been given a chance to legalize their status after the LTFRB announced a conversion program that began last year.

The LTFRB chief said this would allow least 6,300 AUVs and vans to convert their franchise from the illegal "jeepney-style" of operation to a "point-to-point" passenger pickup and drop off service.

Bautista said the conversion plan is part of the LTFRB’s program that involves a terminal-to-terminal route aimed at curbing AUV and FX operators engaged in "colorum" and "out-of-line" operations.

At least 135 routes will be open to operators who are willing to accept franchise conversion. The conversion fee is P30,000 per unit.

Bautista said among those qualified for conversion are school-transport services, shuttle services, vehicles-for-hire, garage services, air-conditioned jeepneys and trucks-for-hire.

Qualified AUVs have to meet certain requirements before they are issued a color-coded sticker, which would indicate fares and routes.

The conversion program does not include FX Mega Taxis or AUVs that use taxi meters.