Commonwealth transport shortage not on LTFRB hands

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) moved Tuesday to clarify that its review of public transport issues along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City does not accuse the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) of any wrongdoing.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez stressed that the LTFRB was simply asked to provide data and identify existing challenges affecting public transport in the area.

“This is not an accusation,” Lopez said during the opening of new commuter stops in Marikina City. He explained that as the lead agency, the DoTr must examine factors affecting implementation to improve services.

“I need data, I need to know — to identify the real problem,” Lopez said, detailing the scope of the inquiry. “Do we have enough personnel? Do we have enough personal capability? Or are we lacking in both? Do we have enough special permits? Have we issued enough franchises? Or do we have enough capability to monitor? We need to identify these so we can provide a solution.”

Lopez pointed to the LTFRB’s recent action on 3 October, where it issued special permits allowing additional vehicles to ply Commonwealth Avenue up to NIA Road, as proof that solutions “can be done.”

For his part, LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III assured the public that the agency remains steadfast in pursuing the Public Transport Modernization Program, despite calls from some transport groups for his resignation.

“Definitely, it’s only the President who can tell me to resign or not,” Guadiz said. “But for now, with 99.9 percent of the transport groups stating that they are supporting LTFRB and, of course, Secretary Lopez, there is no other way for us but to move forward with the modernization of our public utility jeepneys.”

Guadiz explained that the calls for his resignation came after two major transport groups were denied routes that already had existing public utility vehicles operating.

“Two of the large transport groups were not accommodated on the routes they were requesting, and they seem to be complaining now,” Guadiz said.

“The routes they were requesting already have vehicles passing through. That’s what happened; out of ten requests, nine were given, yet we are still the bad guys,” he added.

Guadiz asserted that the agency remains committed to implementing reforms in the transport sector, guided by the overwhelming support of the majority of transport groups across the Philippines.