Completion for public transport plans in Cebu eyed this March

The LTFRB-7 confirmed that starting Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at least 15 units of modern jeepneys will be operating between Tabunok in Talisay City and Cebu City, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. More details to follow. | Photo from Talisay City PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The three-day seminar for Cebu’s city and municipal planning officers for the creation of their Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) has begun.

And officials here hope that local government units (LGU) in the island province would be able to complete and submit their LPTRP by March.

The three-day seminar on drafting the LTPRP started last Tuesday, February 7, at the Capitol Social Hall, Eduardo Montealto Jr., director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7), confirmed. 

Montealto said the activity primarily served as a ‘refresher course’ with the goal of helping local planning officers in expediting their proposed LPTRPs. 

“It’s a refresher because we already had the capacity building way back in 2017. To fast track the formulation and the modernization, we have to undergo another refresher training para mapaspas ang pagbuhat sa route plan,” he said. 

During the first day of the training, LTFRB-7 officials found out that only two local governments have their LPTRPs approved. These are the cities of Mandaue and Naga. 

Montealto also said only seven percent of LGUs in Cebu island have so far submitted their LPTRPs. 

Others like the cities of Danao, Talisay, Toledo, Lapu-Lapu, and the capital Cebu, albeit completed, still needed further revisions, he said. 

Among the reasons local governments raised to the LTFRB-7 as to why they have yet to secure approval for their LPTRPs included the reorganization of their city planning teams, lack of manpower, and the effects of Typhoon Odette and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Kining LPTRP, ang mobuhat ani ang LGU. Kami sa LTFRB ang mo issue sa franchise,” Montealto said.

“So ato na nga buhatan og fleet management aron di mahutdan og sakyanan kay sa inyong mamatikdan sa peak hours daghang pasahero gamay ra ang sakyanan. This is the avenue to harmonize,” he added, referring to the three-day seminar. 

After the seminar, planning, and traffic teams from each LGU will proceed in crafting and improving their respective LPTRP drafts. 

They will return to the Capitol this February 28 for the workshop, which will also span for three days.

“Hopefully kana nga time, formulated na ang atong mga Local Public Transport Route Plan unya gamay nalang nga revision kon naa man gani,” said Montealto.

The Cebu Provincial Government decided to extend the validity of special permits of several modern jeeps with routes covering several local governments in the province. 

In doing so, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has instructed planning and traffic divisions from the LGUs to come up with the LPTRP. 

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