BAGUIO CITY – Transport associations, barangay officials and other stakeholders here were advised to prepare their data on the commuting population and transportation units for consideration in the drafting of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) for the city.
City engineering office traffic and transportation management division chief Januario Borillo last Tuesday said consultations with the various sectors and surveys will be conducted in the coming weeks to gather data and proposals needed to draw the plan which will determine the public transportation routes in the city based on passenger demand and corresponding public transport services.
Borillo whose division facilitates the consultations said this is the proper time to bring out and resolve questions and problems on existing public utility vehicle routes in the city like which routes are oversupplied with PUV units and which ones are in need of more.
He reiterated that the challenge is on achieving a balance between the supply of public utility vehicles and the demand of the commuters.
Borillo said concerns like why the Trancoville and Aurora Hill trunklines are being allowed to serve a longer route and others can also be tackled in the planning.
The LPTRP is mandated of local government units under Dept. Order No. 11-2017 or Omnibus Franchising Guidelines issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
It 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.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan recently formed a multi-sectoral team to spearhead the formulation of the plan in the city.
During the initial consultation held recently, DOTr Cordillera Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Robert Santiago emphasized that under the Omnibus Franchise Guidelines, local government units can establish or create new routes or modify existing ones to meet the demands of passengers in their localities.
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 to problems on integration and interconnection.
With the order, cities and municipalities can 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 by the department. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
