Thursday, November 21, 2024

Tag: Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board

LTFRB to go after ‘colorum’ PUVs in N. Mindanao

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The new chief of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Northern Mindanao (LTFRB-10) has vowed to go after “colorum” public utility vehicles (PUVs) across the region

In a media briefing here Wednesday, LTFRB-10 Director Abosamen Matuan said they will actively operate on the road against unregistered PUVs following reports that “colorum” vehicles are operating in increasing numbers.

“We also need to increase the number of present enforcers who will be deployed,” Matuan said.

Matuan assumed office in late October this year, succeeding former director Amenodin Guro.

Matuan said they are still in transition and the additional personnel doing field duties will be hired gradually, especially with only seven field officers currently employed.

The LTFRB central office allocated PHP14.6 million for Region 10 this year, with PHP4 million set aside for personal services. (PNA)

NorMin PUV groups nix’ consolidation’ extension

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Most public utility vehicle (PUV) groups in the Northern Mindanao Region do not want another deadline extension for consolidating operators as a single cooperative

In an interview on Friday, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Northern Mindanao (LTFRB-10) Director Amenodin Guro said the feedback resulted from their series of consultative meetings with 15 existing PUV transport cooperatives this week.

“The transport players don’t want an extension again for the consolidation of jeepney operators into cooperative or corporation, whose deadline is set on December 31 this year,” he said.

During the meetings, Guro noted that only Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon and the local government unit (LGU) here had submitted the required Local Public Transport Route Plan (LTPRP) needed for the government’s PUV modernization program.

“There’s a minimal oversight on overlapping issues that the LTFRB should undertake, but it can be done in a proper time,” he said.

Guro said LTFRB-10 is currently focused on consolidating and submitting LTPRP from different LGUs in the region.

If the LGUs cannot cooperate on the LTPRP requirement, he said transport groups can file an administrative case due to dereliction of duty.

Currently, almost 2,000 modernized PUVs are operating in Region 10 with 78 routes, the majority of which are from this city and Misamis Oriental province. (PNA)

NorMin transport group rejects weeklong strike

Posted on by cmn

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A group of public transportation cooperatives here signified it would not join a planned weeklong transport strike and disassociated itself from Manila-based organizers

In a statement released on the evening of March 01, the Northern Mindanao Federation of Transport Service Cooperative (Nomfedtrasco) said it opposes the declaration of Manibela, led by its chairperson Mar Valbuena, for a nationwide transport strike.

The statement, signed by Luzminda Escobidal and Melvin Erederos, Nomfedtrasco’s chief executive officer and chairperson, respectively, noted that the group’s members are compliant and supportive of the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

“There were (at least) 20 transport service cooperative members that already have operational modernized units, and they comprise 45 percent of our total membership,” it said.

Nomfedtrasco has 47 primary transport service member-cooperatives.

It also made clear that it is not affiliated in any way with Manibela, which is urging other transport groups to join the nationwide weeklong strike starting March 6.

Manibela opposes the PUV modernization plan being implemented by the Department of Transportation, which calls for the phaseout of old jeepney units.

Nomfedtrasco said it supports a memorandum circular issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board that has given old PUV operators and drivers until June 30 this year to join modern transport cooperatives for the upgrading program.

“The transport strike could prejudice the right of the riding public to access public transport,” it said. (Nef Luczon/PNA)

Fleet of modern buses boosts Bukidnon’s transport system

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-10 took a significant step forward in modernizing the transportation system by introducing 15 modern public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the first fleet of the trendy transport scene in Bukidnon province

As part of the government’s public utility vehicles modernization program (PUVMP), LTFRB-10 Regional Director Aminoden Allan Guro said that the new PUVs have a global positioning system (GPS), closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, televisions, and a cashless fare through the Automatic Fare Collection System server.

“Here in Bukidnon, our decades-old vehicles need to be upgraded so that our passengers can enjoy comfortable, safe, and reliable public transportation. Those dilapidated and old jeeps, which are more than 15 years old—some have even reached 30 years—must be replaced,” Guro said during the PUVMP launching ceremony, on February 23, at the Centennial Stage, Capitol Ground, Malaybalay City.

Modern buses are run by the Bukidnon Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BUKTRAMCO), which has promised to keep service and safety at a high level. These vehicles, each with a seating capacity of 30, will be plying the Quezon-Valencia City-Malaybalay City route. The cooperative has received extensive training and is required to abide by LTFRB’s guidelines and regulations.

Office of Transport Cooperatives Chair Jesus Ferdinand Ortega said soon another group of the same PUVs would arrive to give people a better way to get around that is also more convenient and better for the environment.

“We, in the Office of Transport Cooperative, under DOTr, assure you that this will not be the first modern PUV running here in the province. There will be many more. The program also intends to provide better transportation services to the people to address air pollution and road safety issues. It is one of the government’s priority programs,” he explained.

He stressed that small PUV players could join the Modernization Program as long as they joined together, formed a cooperative or corporation, and met the program’s requirements.

Ortega said that showing off the new buses in Bukidnon is an inspiration, especially for BUKTRAMCO, and a good model for the rest of the country’s provinces.

The DOTr and LTFRB promised to keep helping the province modernize its transportation system. This is in line with the government’s goal of improving public transportation services all over the country. (RLRB/PIA-10/Bukidnon)