Thursday, December 28, 2006 LTFRB proposes new route
THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is inviting investors to put up bus companies that will ply a new route that begins in Minglanilla and ends in the Mactan Export Zone.
It will ban jeepneys from this route, the agency said.
LTFRB 7 Director Rogelio “Jingjing” Osmeña said that his office will also welcome investors who will operate vans-for-hire, as long as they adopt a “point-to-point” system. This means vehicles can only pick up passengers from a terminal and bring them straight to their destination.
Investment
For buses, each operator is required to put up at least 15 units, while investors for V-hires are required to get at least three units.
For 15 units, a bus operator needs to invest from P15 million to P20 million, including the acquisition of the required garage, Osmeña said.
So far, Osmeña added that Metro Cebu KMK Lines is the only new bus company plying the Minglanilla-SM route, with 15 air-conditioned buses. The ride costs P15 to P20. KMK buses use P. del Rosario St. and N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City.
Qualified applicants will be issued a franchise that will allow them to travel from Minglanilla to the export zone, via Talisay City, South Road Properties, Plaza Independencia, the North Reclamation Area and Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge.
Convenience
“Air-conditioned buses will give convenience to passengers. Secondly, buses can accommodate more passengers than jeepneys,” Osmeña said.
The route allows commuters to avoid Tabunok, Talisay City and Bulacao, Cebu City, where heavy traffic is observed during peak hours.
As to the point-to-point system, Osmeña said that an operator may choose the route he wants to operate in, such as Cebu City-Liloan, Cebu City-Consolacion or Cebu City-Danao City, among others.
Drivers can only pick up passengers from the North Bus Terminal and head straight to their destination. The franchise will prohibit drivers from picking up passengers along the way.
“Drivers who violate the rules will be fined,” Osmeña said.
He hopes this scheme will decongest traffic in Northern Cebu. “The passengers will be happy because travel time will be reduced,” he added. (EOB)
