Parking space, lack of loading and unloading sites for passengers and ‘unprofitable’ routes were among the problems raised in the implementation of Cagayan de Oro City’s local public transport route plan (LPTRP).

During Monday’s regular afternoon session of the 20th City Council, administration City Councilor Romeo Calizo acknowledged ‘there were lapses’ in implementing the city’s LPTRP which was scheduled to undergo its second phase last February 12.

 

‘Filling up every route (as mandated by the local transport route plan) with the needed PUV (public utility vehicle) services, admittedly we still have a (substantial) backlog on that…but this is a continuing (process and review) since the route plan is a program of the LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board),’ said Councilor Calizo, who chairs the council’s public utilities committee.

 

The LTFRP is part of the national government’s PUV modernization program and the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) said the city’s local route plan took effect last Jan. 29.

In his special report, City Councilor Malvern Esparcia enumerated some problems facing the route plan based on feedback he got from transport groups, businesses and commuters.

 

Esparcia cited the lack of loading and unloading stations in the city which resulted in some modern PUVs parking indiscriminately in some parts of the city to pick up and unload passengers.

‘This has drawn complaints from some offices and agencies who said this affected their businesses because their clients cannot park their vehicles,’ Esparcia said in Visayan.

 

Esparcia also pointed the reluctance of some PUV drivers and operators to ply previously unserviced routes expanded under the local route plan, saying there are fewer passengers to serve compared to other routes.

 

‘While servicing previously unserviced routes especially those in the hinterlands is laudable, some operators fear they only have few passengers to pick up and this would be costly for them in terms of fuel etc.,’ Esparcia said.

 

Calizo said local transport groups in both the city and in nearby towns who operate units plying the city streets are forced to set up their own terminals in some of the city’s commercial areas.

Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez later referred these concerns to the public utilities committee for dialogue with concerned stakeholders. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)