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[av_heading heading=’Lawyers differ on LTFRB power over terminals ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) claims it can do nothing about a terminal allegedly operating colorum vans here.
Atty. Jose Mari Lamparero, counsel for the LTFRB Region 6, said in a radio interview the agency cannot regulate terminals.
But City Legal Office head Joselito Bayatan disagrees.
On Oct. 11 the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) conducted an operation against DPL Rent a Car & Tours / DPL Airport Shuttle Services on Lopez Jaena Street.
The DPL was accused of having vans operating like colorum vehicles.
A BTAO “asset” rode a DPL van for a trip to Sipalay City. The asset and the other passengers paid driver Jan Marcel Dayon a P250 fare each.
Since the DPL was a rent-a-van business, it was not supposed to collect fare from individual passengers, BTAO officer-in-charge Luisito Acebuche said.
Acebuche sent city police director Senior Superintendent Flynn Dongbo a report on the operation.
Lamparero said the LTFRB only issues vehicle franchises and has no power to close the terminal.
A local government unit regulates terminals based on an ordinance creating the facility but may ask the LTFRB to check whether or not terminal operators follow standards, said the agency’s lawyer.
Bayatan disagreed. The LTFRB has a quasi-judicial powers and functions, he said, citing Executive Order (EO) No. 202, which created the agency.
According to Bayatan, Section 5 of EO No. 202 stated that the LTFRB can issue, amend, revise, suspend, or cancel certificates of public convenience or permits authorizing the operation of public land transportation.
It has the power to issue preliminary or permanent injunctions, whether mandatory or prohibitory, and conduct investigations and hearings of complaints for violation of public service laws on land transportation, he said.
Bayatan said the city government will just check if the DPL violated its business permit./PN
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