LTFRB gives 855 bus units special permits to ferry ‘Undas’ passengers

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved special permits for 855 bus units to cater to the expected influx of passengers going to the provinces for All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day.

The LTFRB said it received a total of 401 applications for special permit from September 16 to 30 which covers around 944 units.

Of this, the agency has granted 387 applications from bus operators covering 855 public utility buses (PUBs), allowing them to travel outside their original

routes.

The duration of the special permit will run from October 30 to November 3, the period with heaviest traffic of people moving out of the cities and back again.

Bus units with special permits will augment provincial buses servicing the anticipated thousands of passengers who will travel to the provinces this “Undas” season.

During the process of securing the permit, LTFRB Technical Division head Joel Bolano said the agency makes sure that the unit must not be more than 10 years old, insurance papers must be updated, and operators should have no pending summons or case filed with the agency.

“Apart from these qualifications, we want to make it clear that only 25 percent of operators per route can be granted special permits. We have no favoritism here,” Bolano said.

A special permit is issued by the LTFRB during holidays, such as Undas, Holy Week, and Christmas season, to allow PUBs to travel outside their route to help in addressing the heavy volume of passengers.

Apart from providing special permits, the LTFRB had also stationed Malasakit Help Desks in major transport terminals across the country to assist passengers.

“All of the LTFRB’s regional offices in the country are also preparing and working together to provide assistance to passengers in their respective areas,” LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III said.

Delgra added that the agency’s transport inspectors also started to put up advisories in transport hubs nationwide in cooperation with bus companies and terminal operators.

Ocular inspections of terminals and garages will begin next week to ensure the compliance of companies and operators to required facility standards, including security protocols, comfortable waiting areas, and clean restrooms, among others.

The LTFRB will also conduct random inspections with the personnel of the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (i-ACT), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), Highway Patrol Group (HPG), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of units and franchise documents to ensure the safety of passengers.

The LTFRB chairman also reminded bus companies and drivers to strictly implement fare discounts for senior citizens, students, and persons with disability (PWDs).

Bus companies should also have priority seats for the elderly, pregnant women, and those with children in tow in their respective terminals, Delgra added.