Solon hits LTFRB ‘suspension spree’

Abakada Rep. Jonathan Dela Cruz: Suspension spree. congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines—Abakada Rep. Jonathan Dela Cruz has warned of shortage and unrest in the public transport sector following revelations of “arbitrary, capricious and uneven” application of the Public Service Law and other orders and circulars in the transportation sector by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Considering that the opening of classes is just less than a month away, the LTFRB had better straighten up and come out with remedial plans to prevent further accidents and chaos on the streets, Dela Cruz said in a press statement.

‘Suspension spree’

The party-list lawmaker noted in a recent hearing of the House committee on transportation that the LTFRB had been on a “suspension spree” in an effort to “camouflage its inability to put order and discipline in the public transport sector.”

“In one occasion, on the flimsiest of reasons, it suspended the entire fleet of two bus companies—one for three months and the other six months—even if only one of their units had been involved in an accident,” he said.

“This ‘knee jerk’ reaction has resulted in chaos and severe public inconvenience on the routes covered by these companies. Not to mention undue proliferation of ‘colorum’ vehicles and ‘jurassic’ modes of transport,” the Abakada congressman noted.

Worse, Dela Cruz said, another bus company that was also involved in a similar accident in almost exactly the same circumstances was slapped by the LTFRB with only a 30-day suspension. “Where is the equity and fairness there?” he said.

No prior consultations

On other occasions, for practically the same offense, the LTFRB fined a bus company P1 million and another a pittance. All this without prior consultations or regard for the public’s convenience and interest, especially in areas where the suspended companies have a significant share of the market.

“What then is the recourse of the riding public in the face of this wishy-washy action of the LTFRB?” he asked.

Worse, Dela Cruz said, the LTFRB is doing all this while everybody is preparing for the opening of classes and the demand for public transport is becoming more acute than ever. “And yet, the LTFRB has yet to come out with a contingency plan.”