COMPANIES TOLD TO HIRE ONLY VEHICLES WITH SPECIAL PERMITS
THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Central Visayas (LTFRB 7) has reminded private companies that have commissioned transport vehicles for their employees to hire only those that have franchise and special operating permit from the board.
Eduardo Montealto, LTFRB 7 director, said he has observed that some Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu have hired tourist buses that do not have special permits to ferry their employees.
He said since mass transportation has been suspended after Cebu was placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), these vehicles can be deployed only through a special permit.
“Daghan ko og namatikdan diri nga walay special permits so they are considered colorum, then sa police in all checkpoint, kung masakpan sila, i-flag down sila then i-report sa amoa or kung kami makasakop sa ila, maperwisyo ang musakay kay amo man na pakanaugon (I noticed a lot of these vehicles that don’t have special permits so they are considered colorum. When the police flag them down at the checkpoints, they will be reported to us or if we will be ones who will apprehend them, it will be too much hassle on the part of the passengers because we will ask them to get off the vehicle),” Montealto said.
“Ang masakpan nga kolorum, i-impound. Ang lukat sa bus is P1 million (The colorum buses will be impounded. In order to get the bus back, you have to pay P1 million),” he added.
Meanwhile, Cebu IT BPM Organization managing director, Wilfredo “Jun” Sa-a, said they have advised their members to register all their hired vehicles with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
“We hope that with the registration, that will authorize them to shuttle BPO workers. This sector is working because of their exemption. They spent extra cost for accommodation and shuttles and food so they can at least continue to provide decent work for our people,” he said.
Montealto said when applying for a special permit, an operator must attach the Certificate of Public Convenience, passenger insurance, and an endorsement from the local government units (LGU) that have jurisdiction over their service vehicles’ routes.
Clearance or endorsement from the LGU is required to make sure that the plying service vehicles are from companies or establishments that are exempted from the ECQ.
“Just like what happened in a private company in Lapu-Lapu City, we found out that the said entity did not have their business permit renewed,” he said in Cebuano.
Transport operators may send their special permit application to ltfrb.r7@gmail.com. An operator must pay P170 (per three days of operation) for the special permit. LGU-commissioned transport vehicles, however, are exempted from paying the fee.
Private companies with their own service vehicles are exempted from the special permit but proprietors have to make sure that such service vehicles are registered under the company or under their own names. /