IT has not been a week yet since the Cebu City Government’s free bus ride program for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) workers started, but it has already become a subject of controversy.
Last Nov. 15, Mayor Tomas Osmeña posted in his official Facebook page a screen-captured photo of a Facebook post made by Cebu Flash Report (CFR) slamming the free bus program.
“It is not the duty of the City Government to provide free ride for private employees at the expense of the poor students, senior citizens and differently abled people who are needing help in travelling around the city than the well-paid BPO workers,” wrote Cebu Flash Report.
Osmeña, in response, dragged Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino’s name into the issue, and wrote that the transportation system also ferries other commuters at night.
“Contrary to what Michael Dino is paying you to say, the midnight-early morning shuttle is open to all people who need transportation when no jeepneys are available. Nurses and night students need a safe way to get around, too. Or is CFR more concerned that the criminals will run out of easy targets to victimize?” he said.
Earlier, City Call Center Program head Nanette Garong said that although the 25-seater buses also cater to other commuters, BPO workers are prioritized since the transportation system is the City’s response to safety concerns following the murder of a call center agent who fought off robbers in Barangay Mabolo.
But why is the City not collecting fares from BPO workers?
In an interview on Thursday, Nov. 15, Mayor Osmeña admitted that his hostile relationship with Dino is one of the reasons for it.
“Because if you are going to charge, we have to get a franchise and we expect the LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board) to give us the hardest time. I’ll be very frank. These people are all Dino people, so the only way to go around is libre sa. You want to make it work, then later on we will find out,” he said.
With 150,000 call center agents in the city, Osmeña said their safety should be a top concern since they are the “driving economic workforce of Cebu.”
In a phone interview, LTFRB 7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said it is not true that they will give the City a hard time in applying for a franchise.
It only needs to submit a Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) to his office since they cannot just issue one to any entity without complying with the requirements due to the moratorium on the issuance of franchises for public utility vehicles (PUV).
But before the City can submit the LPTRP, it will first have to seek clearance from the Commission on Audit.
As soon as they receive the LPTRP, Montealto said his office will check if the City has complied with the other requirements, such as the terminal for PUVs.
When all the requirements have been complied with, the LTFRB will issue a notice of compliance to the City, after which the City Council will be asked to pass an ordinance prescribing the number of PUVs that will operate in that particular route for the issuance of the franchise.
Montealto said this could include the City’s buses that are already transporting workers at night.
He said he believes Osmeña’s program is beneficial to the public. That is why they will support it.
In a related development, the City will open next week a third route for the buses, which will be from Sykes in Panagdait to Cebu IT Park. RTF and PAC of Superbalita Cebu