In line with the instruction of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. to ensure ample supply of public transportation for this year’s Undas, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), under the guidance of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Z. Lopez, has approved the special permit to operate for more than 1,100 passenger buses.
Acting LTFRB Chairman Atty. Greg G. Pua, Jr. said the 1,131 approved passenger buses are under the 384 special permit applications that have been so far approved in relation to the expected increase of passengers for this year’s observation of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
He said 28 other applications are still being reviewed and it covers around 90 passenger buses.
“Our approval mechanisms include stringent review of the units that will be given special permits are indeed safe for long travels. The safety of passengers and other road users must not be compromised,” said Acting Chairman Pua.
The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) earlier said that it expects more than 1.9 million passengers for Undas exodus—from Metro Manila to southern and northern parts of Luzon and vice versa.
The expected travelers also include those heading to the provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The increase in volume of passengers during Undas, according to Acting Chairman Pua, is necessary to ensure the availability of buses to cater for the increase of the commuters.
Pua said the approved special permits covers routes going from and back to Manila in the provinces of key urban areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
LTFRB Executive Director Atty. John Paul Allen M. Victa, the head of the office in charge of review and approval of special permits, said 1080 of those approved have Metro Manila as the point of origin.
The approved special permits include 402 units for Metro Manila-Northern Luzon; 290 for Metro Manila-Central Luzon; 185 for Metro Manila to Southern Luzon, 61 units for Metro Manila and to Bicol region.
He said the LTFRB also approved 19 units for Metro Manila to Eastern Visayas, 13 for Metro Manila to Western Visayas and 10 for Metro Manila to Mindanao.
The rest of the approved units, according to Executive Director Victa, covers routes in Northern, Central and Bicol Region that will not enter Metro Manila.
Acting Chairman Pua said they already tasked all Regional Franchising Regulatory Offices to check on the status of the passengers in their respective areas of responsibility to ensure that there will be no commuter who would be stranded.
