QC lawmaker seeks moratorium on new bus franchises

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo yesterday proposed an indefinite moratorium on new bus franchises in Metro Manila, as leaders of the region seek solutions to the worsening traffic gridlock in the area.

At the same time, Castelo, who chairs the House committee on Metro Manila development, called for a congressional review of existing bus franchises to rationalize the distribution of buses throughout the metropolis.

He said his proposed moratorium could lead to fewer buses roaming the metropolis since thousands of buses are not covered by licenses issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

He said that on EDSA alone, there are an estimated 4,000 buses, of which half are without franchises.

“The moratorium should be a prelude to the proposed series of multi-sector consultations and dialogs among Metro Manila political leaders, lawmakers, bus industry leaders, civil society, and the private sector to solve the gridlock, which is reported to have cost at least P150 billion in wasted man-hours yearly,” he said.

Also, the moratorium could lead to a more systematic issuance of bus franchises, as the House reviews the LTFRB’s franchising powers, he added.

“The rationalization of all bus franchise issuance and consequent rationalization of bus routes could lead to the elimination of the so-called colorum, or franchise-less buses. We have to evolve policies that would rationalize the deployment of buses in Metro Manila and solve the worsening traffic gridlock,” Castelo stressed.