THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is expediting the release of fuel vouchers after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the release of P3 billion funds for subsidy for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers to cushion the impact of spiraling oil prices.
Under the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2, the fuel subsidy covers PUVs, including jeepney, UV Express, mini bus, and bus drivers, shuttle service drivers, taxi drivers, tourist transport service drivers, school transport service drivers, ride-hailing service drivers, delivery service and tricycle drivers.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said that he has ordered the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to immediately distribute the fuel assistance to PUV drivers once the funds has been downloaded to the agency.
“Now that the funds has been approved by the DBM, we will make sure that our PUV drivers get the immediate assistance,” Secretary Bautista said.
A total of 1,360,000 beneficiaries will receive fuel assistance, according to the LTFRB.
Data from the LTFRB shows 280,000 units will receive the one time cash grant from the agency, while 930,000 tricycle driver/operators and an estimated 150,000 delivery service riders will receive the assistance from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), respectively.
The transport regulator will distribute P10,000 to Modern Public Utility Jeepney (MPUJ) and Modern UV Express (MUVE) operators, while operators of other modes of transport will receive P6,500.
Tricycle and delivery riders, on the other hand, are set to receive P1,000 and P1,200 assistance, respectively.
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