Don’t blame us for Edsa traffic, van drivers tell LTFRB

A group of van operators on Tuesday criticized the order of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) banning their members from Edsa, saying no public consultations were held.

Rosalino Marable, national president of the Coalition of Operators and Drivers of UV Express, also denied that they were to blame for heavy traffic on the busy thoroughfare.

On Thursday, the LTFRB issued Memorandum Circular No. 2016-009 prohibiting UV Express vans from using Edsa, except when crossing the highway, “to help address the [traffic congestion] problem and in line with the program of the government to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila which has reached crisis

proportion…”

Caught by surprise

Marable said the order caught them by surprise because when LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra introduced himself to the transport sector last month, “he didn’t talk about this plan.”

He added that the order was also contrary to Delgra’s promise of prioritizing the “welfare and interest of the riding public.” The Inquirer tried but failed to reach Delgra for comment.

Marable said that before the order, commuters coming from Bulacan province would get off at Trinoma in Quezon City while those from Laguna, Batangas and Cavite provinces alighted at Park Square in Makati City.

With the issuance of the memorandum circular, commuters from northern provinces would now have to get off at  Balintawak while those from the south should alight either on Coastal Road or Roxas Boulevard.

“We don’t understand why we were singled out. We’re not the cause of heavy traffic on Edsa,” Marable said.

According to him, they will not go to court but will instead seek an audience with Delgra so that they can see the LTFRB data which led to his decision to ban them from Edsa.