City dads summon LTFRB-7 officials

CEBU, Philippines - The officials of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas are scheduled to appear before the Cebu City Council on Tuesday to brief the city legislators about the complaint of the taxi operators.

The city councilors have decided to invite the LTFRB-7 officials after the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association reported that the LTFRB continued to conduct hearings on franchise applications despite of the suspension order issued by their officials in Manila.

Councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem, chairman of the City Council’s committee on transportation, said the LTFRB officials should comply with the order suspending the implementation of Memorandum Circular 2009-035.

Before it was suspended the memorandum allows the LTFRB-7 officials to receive applications for the abandoned and expired certificates of public convenience (CPC) or franchises of taxi units in Metro Cebu.

But the taxi operators headed by Richard Cabucos complained, because according to them, the granting of additional franchises for taxi units to operate in Metro Cebu will only affect the income of the drivers.

The officials of the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association believed that there are too many existing taxi units in Cebu and allowing more units will make it less economically feasible on the side of the drivers, who are already complaining of low income due to the huge number of taxi units.

Aside from the LTFRB officials, the City Council also invited representatives from the drivers group, Land Transportation Office and City Traffic Operations Management.

Jakosalem earlier moved that the LTFRB-7 officials should refrain from granting new taxi franchises without proper consultation and concurrence from the CITOM.

The taxi operators group in Cebu had earlier filed a civil case asking the court to declare LTFRB memorandum circular 2009-035 “null and void.”   (FREEMAN NEWS)