DOTr to LTFRB: Explain lack of PUVs on major routes

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to explain the lack of public utility vehicles on major routes.

“Nagbigay naman po tayo ng limang araw para magbigay ang LTFRB sa atin ng kanilang kasagutan,” DOTR Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita in an interview Wednesday.

(We gave the LTFRB five days to give us their answer.)

Lopez said he made the order following his inspection along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. According to him, the number of franchises do not match with the number of PUVs plying on the area.

He said the results of the manual audits conducted by the DOTr and LTFRB also do not match.

“Kailangan ko magkaroon ng datos at malaman ang problema. Kami ba may sapat na personnel, o kung may sapat pa kami ng personnel, competent ba sila, o may problema ba kami? Ilan ba yung special permits? Ilan ba yung prangkisa? Ilan ba yung lumalakbay?” Lopez said.

(I need to have data and know the problem. Do we have enough personnel, or if we do have enough personnel, are they competent, or do we have a problem? How many special permits are there? How many franchises? How many are operating?)

“So makukuha ko ang tamang datos kapag sila ay magpapaliwanag. At kailangan ko ipaalam na talagang may nagbabantay. At the sense of urgency of acting on this, kailangan maparating din sa kanila,” he added.

(So I can get the right data when they explain. And I need to let them know that there is really someone monitoring. At the sense of urgency of acting on this, it needs to be conveyed to them as well.)

In an earlier statement, the LTFRB said the DOTr is not accusing the Board of any wrongdoing on the shortage of PUVs along Commonwealth Avenue.

The LTFRB pointed out that the Board was merely asked to provide data and identify existing challenges affecting public transport in the area.

LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III assured the public that the agency remains steadfast in pursuing the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) despite calls from some transport groups for his resignation.

"Definitely, it's only the President who can tell me to resign or not, but for now, with 99.9% of the transport groups stating that they are supporting LTFRB and, of course, Secretary Lopez, there is no other way for us but to move forward, ituloy po natin ang modernisasyon ng ating mga PUJ po (we will pursue the PUJ modernization)," Guadiz said in a statement on Tuesday. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA Integrated News