Local transport group says LPTRP is “anti-poor”
THE transport sector expressed dismay over the impending reduction and cancellation of some existing routes in Pangasinan after the provincial government submitted its Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Bernard Tuliao, president of the Alliance of United Transport Association Provincewide (AUTOPRO) – Pangasinan, said the LPTRP will create more financial problems to drivers and operators among its members.
“Maraming madadamay dito sa plano ng LTFRB, pati pamilya ng mga driver at mga commuters din”, said Tuliao.
On October 26, the LTFRB awarded a Notice of Compliance to the Pangasinan provincial government after it received the LTFRP in compliance line with the LTFRB’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
Tuliao said the LPTRP is anti-poor, as it will adversely affect majority of the traditional jeepney operators and drivers because new and merged routes will be implemented and the old traditional jeepneys operators will be phased out and replaced by the modernized units developed by LTFRB.
He said his group had no choice but to sign an Affidavit of Undertaking, indicating that six months after March 1, 2023, their cooperative must have replaced all traditional jeepneys into modernized ones because the franchises that operators have are only expire on March 31.
While the LTFRB mandated that by March 31 next year, all jeepneys should be modernized, Tuliao argued that this might not yet be possible, as majority of jeepneys plying their routes are still traditional.
Tuliao cited the almost P28 million needed by his organization to comply with the modernization.
At the same time, he doubted the timeline set by LTFRB will be met because of the documentation requirements needed by both LTFRB and the processing of the loans needed. (Ahikam Pasion)
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