LTFRB blames city for rerouting mess

An official of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board yesterday said that had the city coordinated with his office earlier on the rerouting of jeepneys from Mandaue City, there would have been no problem.

During a dialogue with Mandaue PUJ operators and drivers, LTFRB board member Gerardo Pinili said his office would negotiate with the city for the modification of PUJ routes.

"We would be closely coordinating with the local government to know what legal remedy we can do," he said.

He said the city did not immediately apply for the cancellation/modification of the franchises of the Mandaue City PUJs, causing the delay in their issuance of a memorandum.

Last Tuesday, LTFRB's Manila office issued Memorandum Circular No. 2005-018 ordering operators and drivers of 21B and 22B PUJs, which ply from Mandaue City to Cebu City, to apply for the modification of their routes.

The order also stated that the city should be the one to shoulder the operators' expenses for the modification, which costs P510 for the filing fee, P10 for legal research fee and P40 for franchise verification. There are about 600 Mandaue City PUJs that were affected by the rerouting.

Anthony Pogado, chairman of the Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo, wondered how the LTFRB came up with the memorandum, saying that they are against it because it would affect their livelihood.

Pinili said his office issued the memorandum in response to the complaints that it has received and through the recommendation of the city.

He admitted that with the modification of their routes, the drivers' earnings would be affected but that they should abide by the law because it is aimed at easing the worsening traffic situation in the city.

City Ordinance No. 1837 bars all PUJs from outside Cebu City from plying the city's major roads because there are terminals where they would be allowed to load and unload passengers.

Pinili said that the LTFRB knows that the ordinance, which was passed in 2000, was not immediately implemented because the city government is still studying how to impose it.

"It would be easier if we have central terminals because all passengers will ride and go off the jeepneys in terminals. Almost all key cities in the country face traffic congestion because of development. And if we don't address this, it would be hard to implement the law if the problem is already worse," he told the drivers.

Pogado suggested that instead of shortening the routes of Mandaue City PUJs, the LTFRB should investigate the colorum PUJs plying Osmeña Boulevard. He said that there are nine routes traversing Osmeña Boulevard that have no travel lines.

Pinili encouraged the drivers to file for a motion for reconsideration if they are not satisfied with the memorandum so "everything would go through the legal process."