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As part of the “new normal,” the chairman of the House of Representatives Transportation Committee announced Sunday that the Ground Transportation Franchise and Regulation Board (LTFRB) will streamline the ground transportation system for Metro Manila by eliminating overlapping routes on the capital of the country .
Samar Representative Edgar Mary Sarmiento, panel chair, said that of the 96 “reverse” bus routes in Metro Manila, including those running through Edsa, only 29 bus routes will receive a special franchise and each will be dedicated and non-overlapping routes.
Additionally, Sarmiento, in a statement, said that from 61 Edsa bus routes, the LTFRB will now only provide a single dedicated route to Edsa if the National Capital Region finally moves from Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to Community Quarantine. general (GCQ).
During the committee’s virtual committee hearing last Saturday, LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra said the board decided to take the opportunity to streamline the entire ground transportation system and shorten routes to allow for faster change of buses and other forms of public service vehicles.
Delgra told the panel that these newly “streamlined” routes will replace old routes not only during the GCQ period but also “beyond GCQ.”
“The public transportation system, and I’m referring to the land-based public transportation system, urgently needs reform, even a pre-Covid scenario. Part of that is having to improve the efficiency of our public transportation system. What It has happened in the last 30 or 40 years, the bus franchise model is no longer relevant today and we have been saying that even at the beginning of this administration, “Delgra told the committee.
“It is started by the operator and, therefore, when franchises were applied and issued, it was mainly from the operators’ perspective. The longer the route, the more expected travelers will be and, therefore, in terms of profits, they will be able to be sure of the economic fundamentals of their operation. That model is no longer relevant today, “Delgra told the committee.
Delgra said that the LTFRB will implement a new bus route system in time for the transition from Metro Manila to GCQ, but this would still be in effect even when the pandemic has finally ended.
Delgra said that the Edsa Single Bus Route will only be dedicated to Edsa and that all other trips that were previously served by buses that also pass through Edsa will have to be served by separate and dedicated bus routes.
Sarmiento said the Chamber will support the LTFRB movement, which he described as identical to his proposed “centralized and synchronized bus dispatch system” that he hopes will permanently resolve Metro Manila’s traffic problems.
“For me it is really the right time to reform the land sector. I will support you but I hope you plan it well and execute it well. The most important thing here is that the public has the transportation system they need at GCQ, ”said Sarmiento.
Previously, Sarmiento asked DOTr to carry out a dry run at least two days before May 15, which is supposed to be the end of the ECQ, especially for ground transportation, so that the system can be fully evaluated and adjusted prior to the survey. real of The ban on public transport.
