LTFRB Iligan implements transport programs, to resolve illegal terminal and others

Sample of a PUV Drivers' Academy Identification card of 

Mr. Dima-Arig M. Diamla, LTFRB head, Iligan City.

By Jun Enriquez

Iligan City - There are many concerns and issues underlying challenges of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). Iligan City is not an excuse especially on the problem of illegal terminal elsewhere in the city particularly in the vicinity of the old Gaisano must be abolished on orders of Iligan City Mayor Regencia. The LTFRB Iligan Sub-office expressed concerns on this problem in the person of Muhammad Cayongcat, LTFRB Inspector. The LTFRB Iligan is headed by Dima-arig M. Diamla.

Cayongcat said illegal terminal catering small scale vehicles are plying a route from Iligan to Basak areas, the neighboring municipalities in Lanao del Sur and vice versa. Accordingly, Mayor Regencia give chance to illegal operators to integrate at National Steel Corporation (NSC) terminal. Likewise, these illegal operators were asking franchise at LTFRB for public utility vehicle (PUV) operation. The LTFRB responded and have given them a transition period for processing to apply for franchise. The LTFRB is now gathering data at NSC terminal as to the numbers of vehicles, status of Original registration (OR) and Certificate of registration (CR) of their vehicle units. These operators and drivers of private passenger vehicles are encouraged to organize into cooperative to be registered to the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and accreditation to the Office of Transport Cooperative (OTC).

Muhammad Cayungcat

Cayongcat told to reporters of several programs the LTFRB is doing. The Department of transportation (DOTr) has established the Tawid Pasada Program (TPP), to provide fuel subsidy to Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) operators to be implemented by the LTFRB, a joint project of the DOTr and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). The LTFRB is under the office of DOTr. The PUJ operator will received a fuel subsidy for free at 5,000 pesos per quarter per unit. Many operators from Iligan City already applied on this program. The beneficiaries are required to submit authenticated copy of franchise of PUJ vehicle, filling up the Land bank form application and copies of OR and CR of the PUJ unit. The program was just started in October 2018. Beneficiaries on this program for this year will received 15,000 pesos this coming September for the three quarters because LTFRB has not yet release fuel subsidy since January 2019. Taxi operations are not included on the fuel subsidy program. The program has an accredited gas stations from LTFRB. The PUJ operator will be issued with fuel subsidy card indicating the franchise holder, plate number of the vehicle and others, which is non-transferable.

Another project of the LTFRB is the Tsuper Eskolar program, a Joint initiative between LTFRB under the DOTr headed by Secretary Arthur Tugade and the Technical Education and the Skills development Authority (TESDA). This will give full scholarship grants to the direct family members of PUJ operators to undergo skills training at TESDA and acquire National Certificate (NC) II to be used in business and employment purposes locally and abroad to help them access additional economic opportunities in the family. The Tsuper Eskolar trainee will be given a daily allowance of 350 pesos with more or less a month of training at TESDA.

Cayongcat further said that the LTFRB also launched the PUV drivers’ academy seminar. The LTFRB will be the one to conduct the seminar with topics composed of three phases, these are the road rage seminar on how to avoid conflict on the road, the Road safety and Road right. The graduates will be issued with identification card and certificate.

Modern PUV units

Cayongcat added about the aspect of PUV Modernization program, the LTFRB still on awareness campaign to have better understanding about the program, especially on the processing to acquire new units with unique management style. The transport modernization program was being conceptualized in the 1990s since the time of President Ramos and continued by President Duterte. The purpose of the modernization program is to solve traffic congestion for the convenience of the riding public. The modern PUV is loaded with airconditioned unit with availability of wifi. The principle of One route-one operator policy will be applied, meaning one route will be handled by a transport cooperative or corporation to disallow single ownership competition to avoid traffic congestion. Some transport cooperatives are now applying the modernization program. Just last month of July, the DOTr and LTFRB with the presence of Secretary Tugade and LTFRB 10 Regional Director Guro, respectively and other public officials, has launched the modernized transport vehicle units in Cagayan de Oro City.

Mr. Raul Permites, President, CLUTCH

Mr. Raul Permites, President of the Coalition of Lanao del Norte Utility Transport for Change (CLUTCH) said that the government modernization program for the  PUV is very ideal to decongest traffic nationwide and keep the environment clean will help boost economic development. Permites said that the CLUTCH is now prepared and ready to adopt and support the PUV modernization program of the government and organized themselves into a transport cooperative in order to apply new modern PUV units as primary requirement. He said that per route is allowed 15 units only plying regularly limited in the city of Iligan. The name of their newly registered cooperative is Misamis-Iligan Transport Service Cooperative (MILTRASCO).

in another development, there were reports that taxi operation in Iligan City are imposing Taxi fare contracting. The LTFRB office will entertain and welcome any complaint from taxi passengers about the said case and will penalize erring taxi operator and driver by imposing fare contracting to passenger not using taxi meter instead. There are at least 190 taxi units in Iligan City out of the 300 units allocated for franchise per approved resolution by the LGU Iligan City.