THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has justified the revised and rationalized routes for Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) and Public Utility Vans (PUVs) being implemented in Zamboanga City amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
LTFRB Regional Director Zerita Climaco said the implementation of the new scheme was the result of data gathering and monitoring of the previous routes undertaken by the agency's technical team.
Climaco said considering that Zamboanga City is under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the agency's technical team had evaluated and assessed the date gathering in consideration of and in coordination with the City Government.
"We came up with the revised and rationalized routes, resulting in the opening of new routes and additional units for existing and identified routes," Climaco said.
Meanwhile, because of the complaints of commuters, the LTFRB has assured the following: increase in the number of jeepneys plying the route of Integrated Bus Terminal (IBT)-city proper and vice versa.
She said an expected 50 additional units will be taking the aforementioned route, in addition to the already existing 50 PUJs; a help desk will be established by the LTFRB at the IBT to address concerns of overcharging and noncompliance with the other terms of the special permit; and the LTFRB will meet with the different transport groups to discuss the time and interval for the PUVs to run and pick up commuters.
She said the time and interval in run and pick-up of commuters will address the long lines both at the IBT and the pick-up points at the city proper. (SunStar Zamboanga)