Mayors, MMDA ‘declare war’ on LTFRB over ‘colorum’ trucks, buses

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the mayors of Metro Manila, who comprise the Metro Manila Council (MMC), virtually declared war on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board yesterday over the LTFRB’s policy allowing “colorum” trucks and buses to operate by granting them provisional authority.

In an emergency meeting held at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Makati City, the mayors and the MMDA approved a resolution calling on the LTFRB to suspend its bus route rationalization policy in Metro Manila.

LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez earlier said his agency has issued the memorandum circular “to rationalize the existing routes and to designate a specific number of units for routes that have the most passenger demand.”

The MMC slammed the LTFRB for not consulting with concerned Metro Manila local government units and the MMDA prior to the issuance of the circular.

Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, who represented Mayor Joseph Estrada in the meeting, told reporters that unfranchised buses and trucks with green license plates will be apprehended by the local government units of Metro Manila starting today.

“We will implement our own rules within our territorial jurisdictions. It is very clear in the meeting. We will not recognize those passes or provisional authorities. These will not be recognized in Metro Manila within our territorial jurisdictions. This is a very strong statement by Metro Manilans, the stakeholders represented by their mayors,” he said.

Moreno also slammed the LTFRB for not arriving at a decision during the meeting yesterday. All three LTFRB board members, led by Ginez, attended.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista said trucks with green license plates as well as out-of-line and unfranchised buses will be apprehended in Quezon City starting today.

He said the city will not honor the provisional authority granted by the LTFRB. He added that the city will start the apprehensions even if the LTFRB had requested to be given until today to answer the MMC’s resolution.