BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR) urged the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory board (LTFRB) central office to recall the numerous franchises it issued to tourist transport services because the issued franchises are in direct competition with already existing franchises of public utility vehicles in the provinces and cities in the different parts of the region.
Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, who chaired the 2nd quarter RDC-CAR meeting here, said it is unfortunate that the tourist transport vehicles converge in the city as their staging area for their desired destinations considering that their point of destination is in any part of Luzon, thus, the absence of their designated parking areas contribute in the constriction of traffic in the city.
The RDC-CAR resolution requesting for the cancellation of the issued tourist transport franchises is in response to the clamour of legitimate PUV vehicles that were issued franchises which are now affected by the proliferation of the alleged tourist transport vans but are actually operating as garage vans that are in direct competition with PUBs operating in the different parts of the region.
Domogan also criticized the absence of the regional director or duly authorized representative of the Department of Transportation and Railways (DOTR), the agency responsible on the issue, citing that agency officials must make sure that their directors or authorized representatives are present during regular and special full council meetings so that issues related to their work are given immediate action and attention when raised during the meetings.
He revealed while it is true that the tourist transport vans were issued franchises to travel to any point of Luzon, the vehicles that make Baguio city their staging area contribute to the worsening traffic congestions because these do not actually have legitimate parking slots.
The local chief executive noted the significant increase in the number of tourist transport vans using the city as their staging areas and the issuance of these franchises are not done in consultation with concerned local officials so that issues arising from their operations could be given immediate attention before their operation.
A number of legitimate bus operators in the region have time and again questioned the DOTR-CAR and the LTFRB for their failure to act on their complaint heed their plight to address the proliferation of illegal garage vans operating in the different provinces due to the unabated issuance of certificates of public convenience or franchises to garage vans that directly compete with their operations that is now leading to the closure of operations of some bus companies plying various routes around the region.
Legitimate bus operators have strongly condemned the inaction of the DOTR-CAR and LTFRB on the proliferation of colorum vehicles because instead of significantly reducing the number of colorum vehicles, the number of colorum vehicles has almost tripled over the past several years.
By Dexter A. See