Tuesday, April 15, 2008 LTFRB: No petition yet from 2 bus firms to shorten route By Carlo P. Mallo
THE Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Southern Mindanao has not yet received a formal petition from the Weena Bus Co. and People's Transport that seeks to shorten their route from Davao City to Cotabato City.
The two bus companies were earlier reported to have stopped servicing the Davao City to Cotabato City routes due to the harassment by armed extort groups.
"They have expressed that they want to cut their route only up to the Municipality of Kabacan in North Cotabato, but they have not filed any petition yet," said Edgar Violan, administrative officer of LTFRB Southern Mindanao.
With a joint fleet of 122 units, the bus companies are the only ones servicing the route right now.
But the bus companies' management has said that servicing the Cotabato route is no longer profitable as they had to contend with extortionists and passengers who refuse to pay their fares. Thus, their buses no longer proceed to Cotabato City after reaching Kabacan.
In the event the bus company files their petition to shorten their route, Violan said, it will have to go through due process.
"It will be heard, and we will also invite people from the public sector and other industry players," Violan said. (CPM)
