InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS
MANILA - The Department of Transportation and Communications has issued marching orders to improve the service of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, including the drafting of a passenger bill of rights and the holding of public auctions for franchises.
In a statement, DOTC Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas said the bill of rights for land transport passengers should be similar to the one being crafted for air passengers, and should also include provisions that would safeguard drivers and operators against rude, offensive and obnoxious passengers.
Roxas also directed the LTFRB to grant franchises through an open, transparent bidding, adding that this would change the old practice in the bureaucracy riddled with patronage and subjectivity.
The agency also should play a key role in the gradual conversion of public utility vehicles into environment-friendly means of transport to lessen air pollution in Metro Manila and other urban centers, the DOTC chief said.
He said the department is undertaking studies in cooperation with LTFRB and other organizations to look for a viable way to implement the conversion of jeepneys to more eco-friendly vehicles.
What would immediately affect the new policy are bus companies, which, Roxas said, are more capable of making the conversion.
Lastly, the DOTC chief wants LTFRB to amend the routes of provincial buses and limit them to central bus terminals at the outskirts of the metropolis.
These buses, he said, would no longer be allowed to enter Metro Manila, thus easing traffic and reducing smoke emissions.
“In a year’s time or by end of the year, these are some of the changes that we are envisioning for the LTFRB to achieve,” Roxas said.
InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS
BUSINESS NEWS
