Lawmaker seeks ban on single-door buses

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo proposed yesterday a ban on all single-door buses plying Metro Manila to make vehicular traffic along EDSA and other routes faster.

He said a bus with a single door causes traffic congestion since the ingress and egress of passengers take longer.

He said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) had issued in 1997 an order requiring bus firms plying in or entering Metro Manila to acquire and field units with two doors for easier entry and exit of passengers.

The DOTC also has a standing order prohibiting the fielding of tourist buses with single doors, he said.

However, he pointed out that he could not understand why the department and its agencies, particularly the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office, are not enforcing such directives.

Castelo added that concerned officials must have succumbed to the strong lobby of bus companies.

He noted that LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez started on the right foot by going after bus firms violating DOTC directives and the terms of their franchises.

However, he said Ginez has apparently slowed down in his campaign to flush out and punish violators.

‘Bus firms must have own garage’

Another congressman, Sherwin Gatchalian, urged the LTFRB to strictly implement its memorandum circular requiring bus companies to have their own garage before being issued the necessary franchise.

“The LTFRB must be stringent in enforcing its own directive to ease the worsening traffic in Metro Manila,” he said.

He said many bus firms park their units along roads near their supposed terminals and garages.

“If operators have enough capital to purchase their vehicles, they should have money to buy or lease a parking facility. Streets belong to the public and no one has the right to make them private parking spaces. It is crucial to think how to operate a business without causing inconvenience to the public,” he said.