The Yuletide season is still a couple of months away but Filipino motorists and commuters are already feeling like Christmas is just around the corner due to the hellish traffic being experienced in Metro Manila lately.
This is why Valenzuela City Congressman Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian filed a House resolution that would look into a circular from the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board or LTFRB, which would allegedly cause more traffic in the metropolis.
In his “House Resolution No. 1336”, Gatchalian urged the House Committee on Transportation to conduct a congressional inquiry on LTFRB’s Memorandum Circulars (MC) Nos. 2014-009 and 2014-010, which would allegedly encourage colorum violators.
LTFRB MC No. 2014-009 orders the “Suspension of Implementation of Out of Line Operation as Mode of Colorum Operations under Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01”.
Meanwhile, MC No. 2014-010 lays down the “Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of Rationalization of Routes of Provincial Public Utility Bus Service”.
“The conduct of the rationalization of routes of the provincial public utility bus service will defeat the purpose of the establishment of the Integrated Transport System to decongest traffic in Metro Manila and to restrict provincial buses and Asian utility vehicles from entering EDSA,” Gatchalian stated in his resolution.
Gatchalian, a member of House Committee on Metro Manila Development, explained the suspension of enforcement operations against out-of-line violations for 120 days “would only encourage and spur the proliferation of colorum activities which is inimical to the country’s economic development.”
He also pointed out that the LTFRB circulars could run counter to the letter and spirit of Executive Order No. 67, Series of 2012, entitled “Providing for the Establishment of the Integrated Transport System.”
The executive order underscores the need to fast track the establishment of an efficient, reliable, seamless and integrated mass transportation network/system to spur economic growth.
For its part, the Metro Manila Development Authority or MMDA has already expressed its opposition to the LTFRB documents, saying their agency was not consulted when they came out with the memorandum circulars.
It also warned that the traffic situation will worsen with the implementation of the said circulars.
“It would be best to have a formal inquiry so that the two warring agencies, the LTFRB and the MMDA, can have a forum wherein they can explain their sides and come up with a win-win solution for our motorists and commuters who are the ones affected by the traffic problem,” Gatchalian stressed out. (Monica Cantilero)