Franchise moratorium subject of DOTC study

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications is presently conducting a study about the public transportation situation in Metro Cebu to determine whether or not there is a need to grant more franchises to public utility vehicles here.

Arnel Manresa, chief of the DOTC’s Road Transportation and Planning Services and one of his staff Reynaldo Gatchalian, were in Cebu City last Friday and Saturday for initial study and met with some transport officials.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon said Manresa and Gatchalian were sent here by DOTC Undersecretary Aristotle Batuhan to find out if it is appropriate to allow more PUVs to operate in Metro Cebu.

Batuhan told The FREEMAN that the DOTC personnel have been tasked to conduct route measurement capacity to help determine whether the LTFRB can open more routes in Metro Cebu for additional PUVs like buses, jeepneys and taxis.

“I gave the instruction to conduct the study upon the request of LTFRB-7 regional office in view of the clamor of operators of buses, taxis and even car rental or tourist transport for the issuance of new franchises,” said Batuhan.

According to Batuhan it is the personnel of the DOTC who normally conducts the road measurement capacity and if such study will show that there is a need for additional public transport then the DOTC will endorse the recommendation to the LTFRB.

Road measurement capacity is defined as the basic measure of the quantity of traffic a road can carry, the maximum sustainable rate at which pedestrians and vehicles can be expected to travel across a defined point within a given period.

Speaking during the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel yesterday, Cuizon said except the franchise for public utility cargo trucks, the issuance of franchises for the other mode of transportation has been suspended because of reports that our roads can no longer accommodate more vehicles.

The statistics of the Land Transportation Office show that in 2007 there were 436,156 assorted vehicles registered in Central Visayas, most of them in Cebu City. But the figures went up to 478,097 in 2008 and 501,319 in 2009.

LTO-7 assistant regional director Arnel Tancinco said there were 521,800 vehicles registered in the region last year.

Cuizon said the two DOTC officials are expected to return to Cebu City soon to finish the study.

The issue of traffic congestion is the main topic discussed during the forum yesterday where the LTFRB officials were asked by reporters why they did nothing against the illegal parking of PUVs in roads at night.

The procedure is that before a franchise can be issued for a PUV its operator is required to present proof that he or she has a garage, but it was found out that the compliance is just on paper and not actual.

Several PUVS, particularly passenger jeepneys and taxis, are just parked in roads at night because operators do not have enough garage space for their units.

Cuizon said he does not have enough personnel to conduct a campaign against these abusive PUV operators, but he asked the help of the public to give him reports about it supported with photographs.

He said the operators of the public utility vehicles that are just parked in roads will be summoned by the LTFRB and may face revocation of their franchises for failure to comply with the garage requirement. –  (FREEMAN)