LTFRB urged: Withdraw tourist transport franchises

By Dexter A. See 

BONTOC, Mountain Province  – The Cordillera Regional Development Council urged the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory board central office to recall numerous franchises it issued to tourist transport services because these  are in direct competition with franchises of public utility vehicles in the region.

 Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, who chaired the 2nd quarter RDC-CAR meeting here, said it is unfortunate that the tourist transport vehicles converge in the city as their staging area for their desired destinations considering that their point of destination is in any part of Luzon, thus, the absence of their designated parking areas contribute in the constriction of traffic in the city.

 The RDC-CAR resolution requesting for the cancellation of the issued tourist transport franchises is in response to the clamour of legitimate PUV vehicles that were issued franchises which are now affected by the proliferation of the alleged tourist transport vans but are actually operating as garage vans that are in direct competition with PUBs operating in the different parts of the region.

 Domogan also noted absence of the regional director or duly authorized representative of the Department of transportation and Railways which is the agency responsible on the issue, citing that agency officials must make sure that their directors or authorized representatives will be present during regular and special full council meetings so that issues that suddenly crop up could be given immediate action and attention in deference to the ones that raise such matters during their meetings.

He said while it is true that the tourist transport vans were issued franchises to travel in any point of Luzon, the vehicles make Baguio city as their staging area that contribute in the worsening traffic congestions because the said vans do not actually have legitimate parking slots that could be used for their parking slots.

The local chief executive noted the significant increase in the number of tourist transport vans using the city as their staging areas considering that the issuance of their franchises are not actually done in consultation with concerned local officials so that issues arising from their operations could be given immediate attention before their operation.

A number of legitimate bus operators in the region have time and again questioned the DOTR-CAR and the LTFRB for their failure to heed their plight to address the proliferation of illegal garage vans operating in the different provinces as an offshoot of the unabated issuance of certificates of public convenience or franchises to garage vans that directly compete with their operations that is now leading to the closure of operations of several bus companies plying various routes around the region.

Legitimate bus operators have strongly condemned the inaction of the DOTR-CAR and LTFRB on their to address the proliferation of colorum vehicles because instead of significantly reducing the number of colorum vehicles, the number of colorum vehicles have almost tripled over the past several years that have contributed in the already problematic traffic situation in urban areas regionwide.