BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan last week formed a multi-sectoral team to spearhead the formulation of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) which will provide the public transportation routes based on passenger demand and corresponding public transport services of the locality.
Mandated under the Dept. Order No. 11-2017 or Omnibus Franchising Guidelines issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the LPTRP will detail the route networks, transport modes and required number of units per mode to deliver public land transport services and will serve as basis for the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in issuing franchises for public utility vehicles.
With the order, local government units are now given a hand to craft their own LPTRP to modify existing routes or create new ones to meet passenger demands as a means to improve local transportation planning.
Traditionally, the DOTr’s Road Transport Planning Division (RTPD) determines the public transportation routes that are for franchising based on requests from PUV operators and other private individuals and corporations resulting in problems on integration and interconnection.
The plan’s formulation will be guided by a manual also provided by the department.
As per the order, cities and municipalities are mandated to prepare their respective LPTRPs guided by a manual provided by the DOTr focusing on intracity and intramunicipal trips which will be subject to the finalization of the department.
As per Administrative Order No. 26, the mayor will chair the team with the chair of the city council committee on public utilities, transportation and traffic legislation as co-chair.
Members are the city planning and development coordinator, Baguio City Police Office director, city engineer, city administrator, Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) chair, Dept, of Public Works and Highways Baguio City District Engineering Office, Dept. of Transportation Cordillera regional director, Land Transportation Office Cordillera head, LTFRB Cordillera head, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. Baguio-Benguet chapter president or representative and the presidents of the St. Louis University, University of Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, University of the Philippines Baguio and the Baguio Central University.
The team will undertake the process of drafting the plan through review of available local government unit data, collection of data through public transport surveys, route determination, data analysis and determination of the required number of units per route and finalization of the draft plan. **Aileen P. Refuerzo
