IT IS A WELCOME news that our Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has come out with the policy of “No Garage, No Franchise” for Iloilo.
As headlined in this paper on Tuesday last week, the Iloilo City Alliance of Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative (ICAODTC) that acquired 12 units of modern passenger jeepneys have been required by LTFRB to finish their garage first in Barangay Sambag, Jaro, Iloilo City before the agency will register the new units to be deployed in the city.
This is good news as it is along our idea on traffic and tourism discussed in our columns of May 21 and June 4 where we recommended a home garage or parking space for all vehicles as part of the city’s program when the Hon. Jerry Treñas assumes office as Iloilo City mayor on June 30, 2019.
However, the new policy that LTFRB announced applies only to the first 12 transport units of the modern jeepneys that ICAODTC acquired and now being registered.
The jeepney modernization program will be fully implemented by 2020 when all old-type passenger jeepneys 15 years and older will be phased out. Pursuant to this objective, we understand that ICAODTC will put out a total of 110 modern jeepneys before the year is over.
We are pleased that the new jeepney transport program is now being implemented by LTFRB. We think, however, that if covered by law passed by Congress like the bill being proposed by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian for Metro Manila, it can be become a permanent transport policy of the city.
Anyway, congratulations to our local LTFRB leadership for implementing a FIRST in our country for Iloilo by requiring a garage or parking space for the newly-acquired modern jeepneys of the transport cooperative.
We wish that our Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will expand this garage requirement not only for the modernized jeepneys but now for all vehicles, public or private, that will apply for registration of new units or renewals.
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GEM OF THOUGHT
“I don’t hire people who have to be told to be nice. I hire nice people.” – Leona Helmsly
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