THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has started to train the local government unit of Baguio City and other stakeholders on the government program to modernize the public transportation system by January 2021.
Robert Allan Santiago, Department of Transportation and Railways officer-in-charge in the Cordillera, reiterated that under the Omnibus Franchise Guidelines, local governments are mandated to formulate their respective Local Public Transport Route Plans (LPTRP) to modify existing routes or create new ones to meet passenger demands.
City Councilor Benny Bomogao, who co-chairs the LPTRP in the city, explained the role of the stakeholders coming from the academe, business, transport sector and others in identifying specific routes which need changes.
“Our meeting here focuses on what to do with the jeepney routes. Upon identifying these, we will have to find ways on how to solve under supplied routes,” Bomogao said.
LPTRP’s mission is to pursue a stable local economy supportive of development and growth, environmental protection, and security for all people in Baguio City, while its vision espouses a city that would be with people globally competitive and enjoying high quality of life in the form of good health, education, sense of responsibility, and participation in governance.
The plan also emphasizes productivity and responsibility through quality interventions to pursue public welfare.
During the meeting, a proposal to gather pertinent data from all sectors was discussed which would give a perspective on how to manage changes of transport routes.
Leonarda Aguinalde, University of the Cordilleras vice–president for administration, asked the LTFRB to consider the inclusion of safety measures in the plan to prevent accidents involving students and PUJs, aside from looking for ways to provide PUJ services in under-served routes in the city.
The final copy of the LPTRP is expected to identify all routes and require that all public transport vehicles be brand new or less than three years old before the full implementation of the government’s public transport modernization program by January 1, 2021.