Pasig city: The government is set to introduce a new carpooling policy aimed at addressing the ongoing national energy emergency by enabling companies and individuals to provide carpooling services.

According to Philippines News Agency, during a meeting held at the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) headquarters in Pasig City, MMDA Chair Romando 'Don' Artes revealed that the policy is currently being drafted and may be launched after the Holy Week. Artes emphasized that the policy will be open to public participation, allowing individual car owners and companies to enroll in the carpooling system or establish their own shuttle services.

The proposed policy restricts the service to 'point-to-point (P2P)' operations, meaning carpooling vehicles can only pick up and drop off passengers at designated locations. Artes clarified that these vehicles should not operate as regular passenger vehicles to avoid competition with established public utility vehicles (PUVs) such as jeepneys, buses, and UV Express.

Carpooling vehicles will be permitted to travel only once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Fares for these services must adhere to guidelines set by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to prevent excessive charges. The LTFRB is considering issuing special permits to these vehicles to ensure they do not disrupt the routes of regular PUVs.

The policy currently stipulates that only vehicles less than five years old can participate in the carpooling program, though this requirement may be adjusted based on stakeholder feedback. To avoid unnecessary stops by traffic enforcers, compliant carpooling vehicles will receive QR code permits from the LTFRB, ensuring smooth operations without inconvenience to users.

The policy is still under discussion among the Department of Transportation, MMDA, LTFRB, Land Transportation Office, and other relevant agencies.