LTFRB opens new UV Express, bus routes in Mindoro provinces

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has issued new certificate of public convenience to operate Utility Vehicle (UV) Express and Public Utility Bus/Mini Bus service in new routes in Occidental Mindoro and the southern part of Oriental Mindoro.

In a three-page resolution, the LTFRB announced the opening of seven new routes mostly in the belly of Occidental Mindoro to address the deficiency in public transport services in the island.

Martin B. Delgra III, LTFRB chairman, said they lifted the moratorium on the acceptance of applications for the isuuance of new CPC for the new routes after receiving two separate endorsement letters from Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecreatry Thomas M. Orbos who requested them to review the island’s current situation on transportation and the existing policies under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

Delgra said the new routes for UV Express are San Jose, Occidental Mindoro to Sablayan (88 kilometers), Sablayan to Mambura (92 kilometers), Mamburao to Palauan (40 kilometers), Mamburao to Abra de Ilog (30 kilometers), San Jose to Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro (51 kilometers) aAnd Bulalacao to Roxas, Oriental Mindoro (50 kilometers).

The lone new route for Public Utility Bus/Mini-Bus is from San Jose to Abra de Ilog which has a stretch of 210 kilometers.

The board resolution was issued on May 22, 14 days after the Mindoro Island Transport summit was held in San Jose on May 8 which tackled among others the deficiency or lack of public transport services in the island which was aggravated by the suspension of 118 authorized units of Dimple Star and the massive crackdown on colorum vehicles.

Transportation groups in Oriental Mindoro, however, were surprised with the latest move of the LTFRB in issuing new franchises.

The groups pointed out that the planning and management course on local public transport route for the two provinces was just completed last May 25 in Calapan and in compliance with a Department of Transportation directive and as a procedural requirement, Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso V. Umali Jr. issued an executive order on May 29, 2018 creating the Provincial Transport Route Plan (PPTRP) and its Technical Working Group that will pave the way for a comprehensive local transport plan.

Umali has given the PPTRP team two months to complete the plan afterwhich they will submit it to the LTFRB.