DESPITE LTFRB PERMIT FOR CROSS-BORDERS

BUS companies that have been operating in Pangasinan have received their permits from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to operate along their old line – from Pangasinan to Metro Manila and back.

However, none of the bus companies have resumed their operations to date.

This was confirmed by Rhodyn Oro, member of the provincial Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (AITF-EID), in response to Fourth District Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario‘s query, why there are still no buses commuting passengers to and from Manila, during the Question Hour of the SP on June 21.

“Possibly, they are still considering the costs and ironing out some of their policies before restarting their operations,” Oro told the SP, hinting that the bus companies may be assessing viability of their operations since their buses can only load half of their usual passenger capacity while they are not allowed to increase their fares.

At the same time, under their permits granted them by LTFRB central office, the buses will only operate “point-to-point”, meaning the buses cannot pick up and unload passengers along the route: to-and-fro Pangasinan and designated Bulacan stop-over points.

Rosario noted that, in contrast, buses from Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte are commuting limited number of passengers to Metro Manila daily.

Oro said there are limited number of buses operating within Pangasinan only.

Governor Amado Espino III already endorsed the request of Victory Liner, Dagupan Bus, Inc., Solid North and other companies to the LTFRB for permits to operate and restart their operations.

“The drawback of not having the buses is that private vans that are ferrying passengers, charge from P1,400 to P1,500 per head, which is a big drain in the pocket of ordinary wage earners, especially the unemployed,” Rosario said.

He said the COVID-19 situation now in Pangasinan and in Metro Manila is much safer      than before and yet no bus is commuting passengers along this line yet.

On the suggestion of Oro, the SP will invite officials of bus companies and LTFRB in its next Question Hour for an update on the situation why no buses from Pangasinan to Manila are operating. (Leonardo Micua)

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