LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – The Pangasinan provincial government said it has yet to receive a response from the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Ilocos regional office regarding Governor Amado Espino III’s recommendation for the return of provincial buses on the road.
Espino’s letter was addressed to LTFRB-1 regional director Nasrudin Talipasan last Dec. 29, 2020.
Provincial legal officer lawyer Geraldine Baniqued, in an interview on Friday, said the LTFRB has issued Memorandum Circular No. 2020-051 stating the guidelines for the operation of provincial public utility vehicles to and from Metro Manila, despite the general community quarantine and modified general community quarantine.
“Medyo marami po ang requirements ng LTFRB, kaya maaaring sinusuri po nila kung dapat na nga bang mag-isyu ng special permit (LTFRB has a lot of requirements, so maybe they are still reviewing if they would already issue special permit),” she said.
The provincial government hopes that provincial buses would resume their operation by March.
While hopeful for the return of buses, Baniqued foresees a challenge in the future, where bus trips would be delayed due to strict control borders, especially at the provincial borders.
“Hamon po yon, kasi kailangan magpresenta po ang lahat ng pasahero ng travel authority at medical certificates nila bago makapasok sa probinsya natin (It will be a challenge as passengers need to present travel authority and medical certificates before they could enter the province),” she said.
She also cited the possibility of LTFRB’s delayed reply, where they could also be preventing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 to other provinces, especially since new variants have been popping up lately.
In his letter, Espino suggested provincial buses impose the point-to-point (p2p) travel system for the safety of passengers. (PNA)
