THE Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) community in Bacolod City has asked the assistance of President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Christopher Lawrence Go to help them in their cause against the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that idly sat on their application for a franchise including the renewal of their Certificate of Public Conveyance (CPC) of the 44 TNVS drivers and peers in Bacolod City.
Vincent Errol Dreyfus, spokesperson of TNVS drivers, said Friday, July 5, they have waited for so long for LTRFB to act on their application so that they can legitimize their operation in the city.
He said they have secured a CPC from LTFRB-Western Visayas and it already expired in April last year.
“We immediately applied for the renewal, but until now the LTFRB failed to act on it,” he added.
Dreyfus along with other TNVS drivers and peers have joined the TNVS chapters in Manila, Cebu, Pampanga and various TNVS alliances who conveyed their sentiments over the apparent inaction done by LTFRB on their application.
Dreyfus said they wrote President Duterte, Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Undersecretary Mark De Guzman to convey their problems with the LTFRB.
“It is high time that we voice out our plight and worries against LTFRB to the President and also to Senator Bong Go whom we have supported. We don’t know why LTFRB gave us a hard time in processing our franchise, which is necessary for us in obtaining other regulatory permits within our area of operation. Only the President and Senator Bong Go can help us solve our woes with LTFRB. The ease of doing business is somewhat non-existent in the realms of the LTFRB,” he added.
Bacolod City is the pioneer city in the Philippines served by the TNVS.
Dreyfus said the local commuters here have patronized the TNVS as their means of mobility, being the safest, affordable and newer mode of transportation.
“If we will not voice out our cause, who will? If we will not act, who will? If we will not call for help, who will? But, we all pin our hope to President Duterte and to Senator Bong Go in this serious matter. We, the Bacolod TNVS 44 are rallying with our fellow TNVS drivers, peers and operators for LTFRB to act now on our franchises. So many of us rely our livelihood in the TNVS operation. We have families to feed. Allow us to operate with our franchise with us,” he said.
The TNVS is also requesting the LTFRB to grant them 500 slots for the Bacolod TNVS community.
Meanwhile, the TNVS members in Bacolod City will not join the strike on Monday after the TNVS community in Manila earlier announced that they are planning to stage a strike to protest the LTFRB unreasonable processing in granting or denying franchise applications.
“We are not affected with it because this is our own problem and they have their own agenda in Manila,” he said. (MAP)