The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), under the guidance of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon, has intensified its random and surprise inspections in major transportation hubs in anticipation of the influx of travelers who may take advantage of the long holiday break due to the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. earlier approved the declaration of November 16 to 18 as special non-working days and this will give students and workers in Metro Manila a five-day break.
Acting LTFRB Chairman Atty. Greg G. Pua, Jr. said part of the inspection are the road worthiness of the passenger buses and the mental and physical readiness of the drivers and conductors for a long trip.
“We expect a large influx of our countrymen to the bus terminals to return to their respective provinces for vacation because this is a five-day school holiday,” said Acting Chairman Pua.
“On the part of your LTFRB, we want to make sure that all our kababayan who would travel starting this weekend will have the peace of mind for fast, reliable, safe and comfortable travel,” he added.
In relation to the expected influx of passengers, Acting Chairman Pua said a total of 372 units of passenger buses were given special permits in order to ensure that there will be sufficient number of vehicles to cater for the additional passengers.
The biggest number of special permits were given for passenger bound for Northern Luzon with 245 units, followed by Central Luzon-bound units with 111. The other special permits were granted for buses bound for Bicol, Southern Luzon and Western Visayas.
On Thursday, November 12, Acting Chairman Pua, along with LTFRB Franchise Planning and Monitoring Division (FPMD) Chief Atty. Sherwin D. Vizconde, the monitoring team and Law Enforcement Unit (LEU) conducted inspections at bus stations along the EDSA Busway to ensure organized and safe travel for commuters.
The inspections are intended to ensure that all the preparations are properly implemented to ensure smooth and efficient public transportation operations.
This is in line with the instruction of President Marcos to Secretary Dizon to ensure the orderliness, safety, and continuous operation of the public transportation system following the arrival of delegates from various countries.
Aside from the road worthiness of vehicles and the readiness of drivers and conductors, Acting Chairman Pua also tasked Regional Franchising and Regulatory Offices (RFROs) to check on the compliance of terminal operators on the comfort and safety of the passengers.
Among them are sufficient protection from weather condition, working comfort rooms and accessibility of bus terminals to persons with disability and senior citizens.
Acting Chairman Pua also reminded conductors to honor the fare discounts in order to avoid legal consequences, noting that a number of operators were already penalized for violating the fare discount rules.
