BALANGA CITY — Representatives of a big transport group in Bataan on Thursday held here a protest caravan questioning the opening of new routes in the province to be given allegedly to other franchise applicants.
Officials of Kasakbayan in red T-shirts first held the caravan from the four-lane highway to a big mall in the capital and walked to the provincial Capitol to present their demands to the governor.
Provincial legal officer Lawyer Mark Lazardo said he would inform Gov. Albert Garcia who was out of the country of the group’s demand. He said he would also request the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for a meeting with the group.
Ronald Mendoza, Kasakbayan secretary, said that in two months from May to June this year, six routes were approved in the province with four under the control allegedly of a big mall in Balanga City.
“Ito ay tatama sa mga ruta na kung saan ay may mga existing. Ang aming mga miyembro sa federation of transport dito sa probinsiya ay nag-aalala dahil aagaw yan sa aming mga hanapbuhay,” he said.
He said they were surprised because the approval of the new routes was without the necessary Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).
Mendoza said the route plan should have resolutions of no objections from local government but that this did not happen.
He identified the four routes as Balanga-Vista Mall, Pilar– Vista Mall, Orani–Vista Mall, and Mariveles–Vista Mall. He said that the routes will have 15 units of vehicles each or a total of 60 units.
“Natitiyak namin na hindi lang simpleng aapekto ito sa mga tatamaang ruta, ito ay tatama mismo sa kanilang pamilya na nakasandig sa kanilang paghahanapbuhay,” the transport secretary said.
He said it will affect more than 60 drivers.
“Gusto namin huwag munang payagang magpalabas ng bagong developmental route at pag-aralan muna ang nangyaring pagpapalabas ng anim na ruta dahil ito ay illegal, hindi ito dumaan sa tamang proseso,” Mendoza claimed.
Roberto Venturina, Kasakbayan chairman, said their federation is composed of 26 transport groups of about 30,000 drivers and operators plying different routes in Bataan, and Bataan to Olongapo and Pampanga routes.
Romeo Dionisio, Kasakbayan treasurer, said they were also appealing to President Duterte to give them a chance being from the province who could not afford the high cost of new units offered in the phase out of jeepneys.
He said they were not against modernization. “Ang hiling namin sa Presidente na kung maaari pagbigyan kami na i-remodel na lang ang aming sasakyan dahil wala kaming kakayanan para doon sa P800-a day, i-remodel na lang sana,” Dionisio appealed.
