LTFRB reviews over 1,400 bus special permit applications for Yuletide season
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is now processing the more than 1,400 applications for special permits it received for the expected influx of travelers for long Christmas and New Year holidays.
LTFRB chairman Vigor D. Mendoza II said the application covers 1,413 units for 116 routes across the country and with a validity period of Dec. 15, 2025 to Jan. 16 next year, or a period with expected increase in passenger volume.
Mendoza said the review is aimed at ensuring that only units that would pass the road worthiness inspections will be given the special permits.
“It is better to have more extra buses because it is the passengers who suffer in cases of limited buses. This usually results in more passengers being stranded in terminals and we don’t want that to happen,” said Mendoza.
He said they expect more passengers in the coming days as schools are now preparing for academic breaks.
But Mendoza stressed that the intention to provide more passenger buses will not compromise the safety and comfort of the passengers, “The safety and comfort of the passenger will always be the priority.”
Based on the LTFRB data, the number of applications for this year is higher compared to the past years— 1,003 applications in 2024 and 1,174 in 2023.
Mendoza said this reflects the expected increase in the number of passengers and as such, both the LTFRB and transport firms should work together for the common goal of road safety.
“We will be in constant coordination with all concerned government agencies in terms of safety and security,” said Mendoza.