THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 will start training local government units (LGUs) on the transportation modernization.
LTFRB 7 Director Ahmed Cuizon said that LGUs are mandated under the Omnibus Franchise Guidelines to formulate their respective Local Public Transport Route Plans (LPTRP) to modify existing routes or create new ones to meet passenger demands.
Under the LPTRP, Cuizon said that national highways will be used primarily for high-capacity vehicles such as buses, minibuses and GT Express units, while secondary or local roads will be for public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and Filcabs.
This means that PUJs and Filcabs will be prohibited from plying on the national highway, particularly from Carcar City to Danao City in Cebu.
“PUJs will be discouraged from plying on the national highways primarily due to the fact that PUJ route distance will be limited to a maximum of 15 kilometers. Cebu City to Danao City or Cebu City to Carcar City is about 40 kilometers in distance each,” Cuizon said.
Cuizon said that the LPTRPs of the LGUs will have to be approved by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and LTFRB.
Cuizon said that LGUs in Region 7 should submit their LPTRP this year. They want all routes to already be identified and all public transport vehicles to be brand new or less than three years old before the full implementation of the government’s public transport modernization program by Jan. 1, 2021.
“We are also looking at providing transportation support to big infrastructure projects under the Build, Build, Build Program of President Rpdrigo Duterte’s administration,” Cuizon added.
Meanwhile, Cuizon reiterated that the Regional Management Council (RMC) 7 will strictly implement their Holy Week Oplan Biyaheng Ayos 2018 to protect the riding public.
The RMC 7 is composed of government agencies attached to DOTr such as LTFRB, Land Transportation Office, Cebu Port Authority, Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority, Maritime Industry Authority, and Philippine Coast Guard. (EOB)