Saturday, August 18, 2007 Councilor moves to avert hike of vehicles in Baguio
TO COUNTER the increase in the number of motor vehicles in Baguio due to the alleged circumvention of the existing prohibition in the approval of franchises, Councilor Richard Cariño filed a proposed resolution opposing the legalization of colorum vans through the Garage to Terminal Program of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Cariño also asked the City Legal Office to file a formal opposition against all franchise applications for legalization and conversion on routes touching or entering Baguio, filed at the LTFRB in Region 1.
The councilor stressed that aside from vans that were granted new franchises in patent violation of the moratorium, there were other vans tolerated by the LTFRB in Region 1 to illegally operate on out-of-line, or as colorums, or with spurious and unrecorded franchises, thereby exacerbating the congestion of traffic in the city.
To legalize the operation of these vans, the LTFRB, through the GT Express Program, could issue franchises for garage services.
About 2,000 vehicles would flood the city if GT services were approved, Cariño earlier predicted.
He also accused some colleagues at the City Council for contributing to the increase in the number of vehicles.
The council then decided to bring the issue to the fact-finding division of the Office of the Ombudsman for the filing of charges if found warranted. (RO)
