Group: 1,000-bus rule on Edsa should be carried out equitably

A bus group is open to reducing the rolling stocks on Edsa from about 3,800 to 1,000 units, but enforcing it must be equitable.

Madeline Guillermo, president of the Mega Manila Operators and Drivers Alliance, has declared the support of her members to the attrition scheme of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in a bid to decongest the 24-km main artery, touted as the busiest and most congested in the National Capital Region.

“That was initiated by former LTFRB chairperson in 2005,” she told Standard Today, referring to Undersecretary Ma. Elena Bautista, now chief of the Maritime Industry Authority.

Her memorandum ordered a moratorium on new applications and permits for certificates of public conveyance with the exception of trucks for hire.

Undersecretary Alberto Suansing, LTFRB chairman, said the rule on no new issuances was still in force.

“By the end of this year, you can expect [about] 800 buses would no longer be on the Edsa route,” he said.

“In fact the franchises of some have already expired but are still plying the route because of their pending application for extension of validity of franchise which are currently under review.”

While Guillermo finds the attrition policy justified, she said authorities must consider the track record of the bus firms along with guidelines in determining how many units are needed based on commuter demand.

“Less buses on Edsa mean more income for bus operators,” she said, noting the need for the transport sector to survive as a business operation while complying measures of other entities such as the Land Transportation Office, the Metro Manila Development Authority, the local government units and law enforcement agencies.

According to Guillermo, her top five members are Santrans with 350 buses, Kellen (100), and Cher (100) along with Precious Grace; she has three lines of her own—Guardian Angel, Everlasting and Universal Shining Star.

She said government must get tough on operators with a record of frequent traffic violations and accidents, units 15 years old and above as well as smoke-belchers to boost the Clean Air Act particularly in the metropolis.

Guillermo is one of the three city bus operators who have invested on mobile automated device, or mPad, to compute fares, gradually getting rid of the paper tickets. –Rio N. Araja with Roy Pelovello, Manila Standard Today