Opposition must be settled first: LTRFB

Opposition must be settled first: LTRFB

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) yesterday said it cannot issue a franchise to Metro Transit Corp. to operate 77 hybrid buses if the opposition of the Cebu transport leaders remains unsettled.

LTFRB Board Member Antonio Enrile Inton also urged all LTFRB subordinate officials and hearing officers in Region 7 to stop issuing confusing statements pending the action of the LTFRB en banc on the matter.

Inton referred to the complaint of Benjamin Ryan Yu, chairman of the Cebu Integrated Transport Service Cooperative (Citrasco) and Julito Flores, president of the Cebu South Mini Bus Operators Association (CSMBOA), about the statement of a hearing officer during the Philippine

LTFRB Board Member Antonio Enrile Inton also urged all LTFRB subordinate officials and hearing officers in Region 7 to stop issuing confusing statements pending the action of the LTFRB en banc on the matter

Information Agency (PIA) media forum.

The hearing officer said the application for a franchise to operate the 77 hybrid buses was “approved in principle”, hence, “a done deal.”

“That statement is alarming. It will appear that the hearings that will be conducted by LTFRB will only be muro-muro only,” Yu said.

Metro Transit is a joint venture between Jam Transit, a big bus company in Metro Manila, and SM Prime Holdings which own SM Seaside City at South Road Properties.

Hearing

While the LTFRB 7 conducted a public hearing on the Metro Transit Corp., Inton said the final action will be by the LTFRB en banc of which he is part.

“I have yet to see the application (for franchise by Metro Transit), therefore, no LTFRB official or hearing officer can make such a sweeping statement that the application is already approved in principle,” Inton said.

When told that some of the buses are already at the parking lot of SM

City at North Reclamation Area, Cebu City, Inton said it’s not a guarantee for the issuance of a franchise.

Meanwhile, Flores said Cebu transport groups like CSMBOA, Citrasco and Cebu Provincial Bus Operators Association (CPBOA), among others, are willing to organize a coalition to operate the 77 buses, if SM Prime Holdings will allow them.

“We always support a big business like SM City. What we don’t like is when big businessmen compete with us, which may result to loss of livelihood among local operators and drivers,” Flores said.

Yu, for his part, urged his fellow transport leaders refrain from engaging in transport strike that will paralyze public mobility.

“We will continue to conduct protest rallies but not transport strike,” Yu said.