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Only 20K of 62K registered drivers accepted for aid program so far —LTFRB
By JOVILAND RITA,GMA NewsOut of the 62,000 drivers who registered for the aid program amid the COVID-19 pandemic, only about 20,000 have already started in service contracting to receive the cash assistance, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said on Wednesday.
At the Laging Handa public briefing, LTFRB officer-in-charge Executive Director Joel Bolano said that most of the 20,000 drivers already received their payment.
“Yun pong naka-registered na sa atin na drivers ay umaabot na sa 62,000 [The number of drivers who have registered for the program has already reached around 62,000],” Bolano said.
“Kaya lang yung na-onboard pa lang po natin, ‘yung nasa systems na at may kontrata ito na napirmahan, ay yung sinasabi ko na mga P20,000 [But only 20,000 of them were onboard, included in the systems, and have signed contracts),” he added.
Drivers and operators of public utility vehicles affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns will receive cash subsidies under the Bayanihan recovery plan in exchange for plying the routes for the government.
A total of P5.8 billion fund was allocated
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Under the service contracting, the government will regulate the number of operating hours for the drivers and operators.
As of April 15, around P40 million was given as initial payout for 9,248 drivers.
Some drivers and operators, however, have complained of delayed and inadequate payment, prompting them either to loan money or stop operating. Some have even resorted to begging.
Senator Grace Poe has said that the rollout of the service contracting program for transport sector workers has been “sluggish.” She said in a statement in May that the delay in the service contracting program will slow down opportunities for the drivers to have “dignified” income and to provide the commuters a safe and comfortable travel. --KBK, GMA News