(FILE) A provincial bus on Edsa. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will hold provincial bus operators accountable for violating their permits and the “window hour scheme” agreement they have made with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
The LTFRB said this on Wednesday as it clarified the announcements made by some provincial bus operators regarding its adjusted operation hours in Metro Manila.
“It should be noted that permits to operate were given to these provincial bus operators to transport passengers at any given time when there is passenger demand, and not only at night time as they have announced in several platforms,” the LTFRB said in a statement.
“The provincial bus operators should be responsible enough to abide by their agreement with the MMDA and its duties and responsibilities as a common carrier. For their non-compliance, which is a blatant violation of their special permits and certificate of public convenience or CPC to operate, the LTFRB will hold them accountable for this flagrant violation,” it added.
The LTFRB cited the announcements made by provincial bus operators online, supposedly saying they “will be operating during night time only, specifically from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM, allegedly in observance of the window scheme agreement they have with the MMDA.”
The LTFRB said it was not privy to the agreement but was only informed of this prior to the more than two-weeks dry run of the said scheme by the MMDA.
It was on March 24 when the MMDA announced the start of a two-week dry run for the return of provincial buses along Edsa. Provincial buses were allowed to ply Edsa from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
According to the LTFRB, the scheme “should not connote that provincial bus operations shall only commence and terminate public land transportation services” during the said hours.
“The agreement with the provincial bus operators, as explained by the MMDA during the meeting of officials from both agencies, was that the said operators may use their private terminals only from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM,” it added.