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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Passenger jeepneys, buses plying routes way fewer since pandemic, Guadiz tells House panel

Passenger jeepneys, buses plying routes way fewer since pandemic, Guadiz tells House panel

Published Sep 4, 2023 03:17 pm

At A Glance

  • The number of passenger jeeps and buses plying routes these days is a far cry from pre-pandemic levels, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III told the House Committee on Appropriations. 

IMG-e7d42bfe91d7710c20f5e7ae3ae0cd2c-V.jpg(MANILA BULLETIN)

 

 

 

 

 

The number of passenger jeeps and buses plying routes these days is a far cry from pre-pandemic levels. 

This was learned from estimates given by Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III during the budget hearing of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Monday, Sept. 4 before the House Committee on Appropriations. 

Grilling Guadiz during the budget hearing was Makabayan bloc member Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel. 

"Yung pre-pandemic routes daw ay naibalik (It's been said that the pre-pandemic routes were returned). Can LTFRB qualify?" asked Manuel. 

"Less than half ang naibalik na namin po for the jeepneys (For the jeepneys, we've managed to return less than half). For the buses it's about 65 percent po for the area. I'm referring to the city buses po," Guadiz said. 

He noted that provincial buses have had a better return rate since the Covid-19 pandemic, at "about 90 percent". 

Guadiz further told Manuel that the LTFRB has "created new and developmental routes" for passenger jeepneys. 

Manuel, for his part, wondered out loud if the agency had been properly conducting public consultations on its re-routing schemes. 

"We often receive reports na hindi naman well-consulted yung mga re-routing kaya meron talagang mga rutang naka-kakatay (your re-routings weren't well consulted, that's why some routes get abandoned)," he said. 

It was early 2020 when Covid-19 first struck the Philippines. This forced the government place the country under strict lockdown in a bid to restrict people's movement and the spread of the virus. 

Needless to say, this decimated the public transport system as drivers of jeepneys and buses suddenly found themselves with no livelihood. 

 

The LTFRB is an attached agency of the DOTr. 

 

Related Tags

Department of Transportation LTFRB raoul manuel
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