Moratorium on new PUV franchises LTFRB-7 awaits DOTC decision

CEBU, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is waiting for the decision of the Department of Transportation and Communication regarding the lifting of the moratorium on the issuance of new franchises for public utility vehicles.

“There has been a clamor for the lifting of the moratorium. We already requested DOTC on that matter. But with the change of leadership at the DOTC, we are still waiting up to now,” said LTFRB chairman Jaime Jacob in his recent visit to Cebu.

Jacob said that there are some routes that have plenty of PUVs while some routes have very few but the volume of passengers is increasing every year.

Jacob said this is especially in the province where passengers opt to sit on top of vehicles, which is an indication of the lack of vehicles.

LTFRB-7 regional director Ahmed Cuizon said the lack of vehicles in some routes in Cebu is very visible especially during peak season like the recent All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day.

“Makita gyud nimo nga nagkadaghan na gyud ang mga pasahero sa probinsiya. (You will really see that the number of passengers in the province is increasing.)” Cuizon said.

Ryan Benjamin Yu, chairman of the Confederation of Transport Operators and Drivers Association Inc. said that Toledo-Balamban routes obviously need more buses.

Yu said that the lack of buses and the increasing volume of passengers brought about by the development in those areas is one of the factors why some vehicular accidents occur.

“Ang pasahero nagdali kay dili gusto ma-late unya ang mga drivers nagdali sad para makakuha og daghang pasahero. Mao na ang resulta, disgrasya gyud. (Passengers are in a hurry because they don’t want to be late and the drivers are also hurrying to get more passengers. This is why accidents occur.),” he added.

Jacob added that should the moratorium be lifted, regional directors in each region should be the one to decide which routes need more vehicles and which routes need the least.

“That is the right thing to do because that is our turf,” Cuizon added.

The LTFRB, in order to decongest traffic, is also studying the phase-out of public utility jeepneys that are more than 15 years old from the date of its first registration.

Jacob however said that this is still a plan as LTFRB observed there are old jeepneys that are still operating to the detriment of the riding public.

To date, taxi units should only operate for 13 years; 15 years for buses and no age limit for jeepneys. — (FREEMAN)