LTFRB eyes new jeepney routes to city’s hinterlands

LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chair Martin Delgra III has directed newly installed LTFRB Regional Director Armand Dioso to study the possibility of opening new jeepney routes going to hinterland areas of the city.

Delgra gave the order to Dioso on the first day of his job during the turn-over

ceremony on Moday.

During the dialogue with the stakeholders in the said event, jeepney drivers aired to the LTFRB chair that tricycles are illegally traversing along the national highways, particularly in Calinan District.

A jeepney driver said tricycles are passing the national road to ferry passengers from the poblacion of Calinan to Marilog District.

According to the complainant, “there weren’t very many pedicabs that hail passengers to long distance routes along the national highway in 2015, however, as of today, they became like taxis in their numbers.”

Delgra said there might be no jeepney routes available in these areas.

“Once we can confirm these, we will open new routes these areas,” Delgra said.

Dioso responded that he will prioritize the said matter among the programs he will act upon first.

“With Chairman Delgra’s mandate, we will examine that to provide legitimate transport service,” he said.

Delgra admitted that that the operation of tricycles is under the jurisdiction of the local government unit (LGU).

“Tricycles are not under our jurisdiction but rather of the LGU, and we will direct this to the attention of the LGU, particular to the transport and traffic management under chief Dionisio Abude,” he said.

“Whatever your complaints are, rest assured, we will bring it up to them,” Delgra added.

Delgra narrated that they have acted on a similar issue in another region.

“This has been a problem not just in Region 11 but all across (the country). In region 12, somebody requested to take down thousands of colorum tricycles that traverse even outside of General Santos,” he said.

He also mentioned that it is really illegal for tricycles along national roads.

“At the side of the tricycle’s body, the sign ‘not allowed to traverse along national highway’ is very obvious yet, oftentimes we see them along the national highway,” Delgra said.