POE TO LTFRB: CONSULT PUBLIC, DRIVERS ON TRAFFIC POLICIES

Sen. Grace Poe has taken the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to task for implementing issuances and policies without public consultations.

This has led to greater chaos of the already messy traffic situation being endured by the public everyday.

"The LTFRB seems to be crafting policies and issuances without hearing the side of the PUV operators, drivers and passengers. It doesn't get the complete picture, the result is a mess," the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services said.

"Ipinapaalala natin sa kanila na ang mga pasahero, mananakay at operators at drivers ang dapat sentro ng kanilang mandato--ang mapadali, mapabilis at maging kaaya-aya ang pagbiyahe ng ating mga kababayan," she said.

Poe's committee recently held a hearing on the operation of the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), which bared some issues on rationalization of routes and issuance of franchises.

The new measures being implemented at Metro Manila's new landport were seen as the culprit for the long queues of passengers at the Mall of Asia transport terminal last week.

Reports reaching the senator's office tell of some commuters, including senior citizens, waiting for as long as three hours to get a ride home to Cavite.

"It is really disturbing that the basic law of supply and demand is not even readily apparent to LTFRB and DOTr," she said.

"Akalain mong mayroon palang mga bus na pinapahinto sa PITX at pinapababa ang mga pasahero at pinatutuloy ang bus papasok ng Metro Manila nang walang sakay na pasahero," she added.

The lack of public consultation results in either a glut or a lack of PUVs in many areas, Poe said.

"Maraming puno na PUVs sa kalsada at walang mananakay na naghihintay sa lansangan sana ang makikita natin, hindi yung maraming walang laman na PUVs habang sandamakmak din na mananakay ang nabuburyong sa mga lansangan," she said.

"There really is a problem with rationalizing routes and franchises being given out by the LTFRB," Poe added.

She stressed the problems in rationalizing routes and issuing franchises should be addressed by the transportation body.

But she added the DOTr and LTFRB cannot possibly grant the proper number of franchises in actual areas without truly consulting the riding public and the PUVs involved.