GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 04 January) — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Friday lauded the city’s progress in the last two years towards the full implementation of the public transport modernization program.
In a meeting with city officials and leaders of transport groups here, LTFRB chair Martin Delgra said the city has gained headway in its efforts to rationalize and modernize local public transportation in partnership with transport groups.
He cited the city government’s efforts to align its transport plan with the national government’s programs and at the same time safeguard the interests of the local transport sector and commuters.
Delgra acknowledged that the modernization of public transportation is a challenging process and the government needs the help of all concerned sectors to achieve it.
“Importante wala’y mabiyaan (It’s important that no one will be left behind),” he said.
The city was the first local government unit in the country that completed its Local Public Transport Route Plan (LTPRP), a requirement under the national government’s public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP).
It received a notice of compliance from the LTFRB in June 2018, a year after the launching of the PUVMP.
Delgra commended the city government for supporting the transition of local transport groups towards modernization, especially in the acquisition of compliant units like electronic jeepneys.
The city government had opened a subsidy program under the Barangay Entrepreneur Support and Trust Ordinance that may be availed by local transport cooperatives in their modernization efforts.
Lawyer Arnel Zapatos, city administrator, assured the local government’s continued support to help fast track the modernization of the city’s public transportation sector.
He said they are currently working on the clustering of tricycles into “pre-arranged and pre-studied zones” to rationalize its operations.
Zapatos said they are also aligning the city’s Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development Master Plan with the requirements of the public transport system.
Late last year, the city government helped facilitate a fleet management seminar to educate drivers and operators in properly managing their cooperatives.
Zapatos added that they will convene stakeholders of the city’s transport sector later this month for a Transport Operators and Drivers Association or Toda Summit. (MindaNews)